A Toxic Lullaby
by miraline
Summary: Edward admittedly needed a change in his life - but when said change comes in the form of a temperamental toddler he is forced to turn to his ex for help. Can Special agent Swan, with a past in law enforcement, find the rightful "owner" of the child. After a Twisted Tale be prepared for this Toxic Lullaby...
1. Chapter 1  Lucid dreams

**Chapter 1 – Lucid dreams**

NY, November, 2010

Ever had one of those dreams where you know you're dreaming but can't wake up? You try and try to force yourself to wake up, and then you think you've done it you open your eyes, yawn, stretch your arms out and everything... but you're still trapped inside the dream. You think the nightmare is over, but it only just begun.

In this particular nightmare the turning point was a phone call one early Tuesday morning….

.

..~.._ ..~.._ ..~.._ ..~.._ ..~.._ ..~.._ ..~.._ ..~.._ ..~.._ ..~.._ ..~.._ ..~.._ ..~.._ ..~.._ ..~.._

.

"May I speak to Edward Cullen,please?" The voice was formal, crisp, just the hint of an accent.

"That would be me," Edward answered, cradling his phone between his shoulder and ear as he stepped into his shoes and put his coat on. He had been about to get ready to head out the door when the phone had rung.

"Edward Anthony Cullen, born on June 20, 1983 in Chicago, Illinois.".

"Yes," he replied warily. "Who's asking?"

"My name is Maggie Thompson," the female voice introduced herself. "Please allow me a few minutes of your time, and I'll explain wh-…"

"Who do you work for?" Edward cut her off impatiently. "If you're a telemarketer you're wasting your time. I'm already late for my chiropractor appointment."

"I'm not a telemarketer," she informed him. "I'm a social worker with the Seattle Department of Social Services. I have something that I think may belong to you. That's why I need to ask some questions."

"Okaaay… ," he answered hesitantly, "uhm… I mean, fine, go ahead. I'm listening."

"I know you grew up in Forks Washington, so I assume you're well acquainted with Seattle area? Does the name 'Kebi' sound familiar to you? "

"Nope, I can't say it does. It sounds like a bar or a teenage hangout or something."

"It's not a bar; it's a person, and a female one at that. What about Warwick Seattle Hotel? Have you ever stayed there?"

"That's in Belltown, right? Yeah, I think I might have stayed there once or twice."

"When was this? I you don't mind me asking."

He hesitated before answering. "I'm not sure, 2006, maybe? I was working on recording some instrumental pieces. It was right around Easter time, if I remember correctly. I was there for four, maybe five weeks. "

"2006 you say? Could it have been in Mars 2007?"

He hesitated again. "Are you going to tell me what this is all about?"

"Well, as I told you previously, I work for the Seattle Department of Social Services. As of two days ago, we have a little boy, a two year old, in protective custody. I hate to bring up such a sensitive subject over the phone like this, but there is really no way around it. The reason I'm calling is because I'm trying to locate living relatives of said child. "

"Well, in that case you got the wrong person."

"You sound certain."

"I am. I'm an only child with no living relatives. I have a big adopted family with many cousins, aunts and uncles, but there is no possible way that this child is related to me biologically."

"Would you be willing to take a DNA test?"

"A DNA test? What for?" He was briefly confused, but then realization hit him like a fist to the gut. "Wait hold up! You're talking about a PATERNITY test? Is that what this is all about? You have a child that you think is… is.. MINE?"

"Yes, that's correct. That's why I'm calling. Someone abandoned this little boy on the steps of a church in the outskirts of Seattle and I have reason to believe that he is in fact your son."

"I think you've got the wrong number, lady. I don't know anyone by the name 'Kebi' and that boy can not possibly be mine," he said, with a little more force than necessary.

"You might want to hear what the letter says before you hang up on me, Mr. Cullen. "

"What letter?"

"The letter that was found with the child. The letter that names you as the child's primary care taker."

Edward never made it to his chiropractor appointment that Tuesday morning. Not to his lunch meeting either. Before the day was over he was on a plane on his way to Seattle.

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..~.._ ..~.._ ..~.._ ..~.._ ..~.._ ..~.._ ..~.._ ..~.._ ..~.._ ..~.._ ..~.._ ..~.._ ..~.._ ..~.._ ..~.._

.

_Dear Eddie… Edward… Mr. Hotshot… or whatever you're going by these days._

_I've been trying to get in contact with you for a few months now, but __it__looks like your phone number has changed multiple times in the last six months. I would have come by your place, if I knew where it was. With no permanent address listed there is only so much I can do. Don't you ever check your facebook account? Anyway, I guess I have your attention now, don't I? _

_____You have a son, his name is Anthony. He's two years old and his birthday is January the 24th.. I know right now you're racking your brain so let me help you out there. If you count backwards you'll know approximately WHEN it happened…. and as for WHERE…. I don't expect you to remember this, but there was this party,_ _a fancy_ _dress affair_,_ I guess you could call it a 'birthday party' of sorts. It had an open bar and you got fucking smashed_ _that night. __This leaves us with HOW… I'm going to assume you know about the birds and the bees. It was a drunken one-night-stand, a consensual act between two legal adults… Nuff said… That's not__ what's important here, Anthony is._

___He's a good kid, who only fusses when he's hungry, tired or in need of a diaper change. He's really great and smart and everything. Here's the deal. I can't do this; I can't take proper care of him. I love Anthony. I love him as much as I possibly can, but I can not be a mother to him. As much as I want to think I can and as much as I have wanted to try… I just can't._

_____You seem to have your shit together, financially at least. I'm begging you to step up and do the right thing. You can give him the stability he needs and you can afford to buy everything he could ever want. You will be able to give him so much more than I could, and he deserves that._

_____There are a few things you need to know. He's allergic to nuts and strawberries. He won't go to sleep without his tiger striped stuffed toy. He's terrified off taking baths. The rest… well… you'll learn as you go._

_____I wish you the best of luck._

_____Take care_

_____Kebi._

_____.  
_

"Jesus Edward, is this legit?," Alice asked, looking up from the wrinkled fax document in his hand.

Nosy to a fault, his slightly older sister and close confidant had showed up on his doorstep determined to find out the real scope behind his somewhat hasty decision to leave town for a few days. She had known without being told, that something wasn't quite right. "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark," she had declared and squeezed herself past him in the doorway. Her intuition had been spot-on as always.

"The letter in itself is real," Edward sighed throwing another pair of jeans into his open suitcase. "I had the social worker fax me her ID and a copy of the report that was filed when they first found the child."

"But is he… I mean, could he be….is it true?"

Edward paused mid packing and glared at his sister for a second before answering. "Of course it's not true," he stated in a voice that left no room for discussion. "I can't believe you would ask me that!"

"Alriiight, I was just checking," she threw her hands up in a 'why do I even bother' gesture. "I could always get Emmett to come by after work, if you rather talk with him."

Edward snorted in what can only be described as frustration. "Yes, because I would just LOVE to hear what Em has to say about this."

If Alice was the all-knowing gossip queen, Em was the obnoxious one, the one who never shut up. The one that would take every opportunity to tease and torment his siblings. They had all known each other a very long time. Not only had they grown up together, but they shared a similar past; all three of them had been orphaned at a tender age and all three of them had been adopted into the same family at roughly the same age. They were as close as any siblings could be… too close even… to the point where they tended to be all up each others business, all the time.

"I can't believe I'm about to have this discussion with you." Heaving a heavy sigh, Edward snapped his suitcase closed with a thud. "I have not had sex with this woman; in fact I don't even know who she is. "

Alice opened her mouth to speak, but he raised his hand to silence her. "I know, what you're thinking. It wouldn't be the first time I forgot a name or a face… or an entire night, for that matter. I'm not stupid though, drunk or sober, I use condoms religiously. There is just no way that child is mine."

"Good for you, but you do realize condoms are not 100% effective, right?"

"I'm aware of that, thank you very much. That's why I need to cancel everything on my schedule for the next couple of days so that I can go to Seattle and settle this once and for all."

"That's probably wise. Don't you think you should speak with a lawyer before you go? A child was abandoned, that's a criminal offence. I could make a few calls. Maybe I should go with you… Unless you want dad to b-…"

"NO!" Edward all but shouted, causing his sister to jump visibly. "Sorry," he muttered, racking his hand through his hair. "I see no point in worrying Carlisle and Esme with this. And no lawyer, I can handle this on my own."

"Alright, but I am coming with you whether you like it or not, "she said with finality.

Edward just shook his head, knowing it was a losing battle to argue with Alice.

* * *

AN: Okay so that's the first chapter what do you think? Please review!

A certain special agent Swan will make an entrance in the next chapter…


	2. Chapter 2 – Timeout

**Chapter 2 – Time-out**

**.  
**

_Office # 322 at the FBI New York headquarter_

.

Special agent Bella Swan rubbed her chin, leaned forward in her desk chair and typed a few carefully chosen words into the IM window on the screen before her.

_Lethal_curves: How's New Mexico? Not a complete waste of time, I hope!_

Her question was directed at her currently out-of-town co-worker Seth Clearwater.

While Bella waited for him to reply, she chugged down the last of her orange juice, wishing it was coffee. Normally long, dull afternoons at the office, called for a shit-load of caffeine, nicotine and, if all else failed, painkillers… nice relaxing, stress reducing substances… all of which she had sworn off recently in favor of a healthier lifestyle.

Thankfully, though, she still had chocolate to fall back on….

'Now where did I put that Mars Bar', Bella thought to herself as she dug through her desk drawer. Just then her laptop chimed indicating a new message.

_Wolfman007: New Mexico is unseasonably chilly. Got here too late…_

Forgetting her chocolate momentarily, Bella quickly typed in another question and hit enter.

_Lethal_curves: It was him, though, right? The perv?_

The perv or 'Mr-pervy-porn-photagrapher', triple P for short, as Bella liked to call him, was a suspect in a particularly difficult murder case that had the entire bureau in a buzz.

Seth's answer was instant, but vague.

_Wolfman007: Affirmative  
Wolfman007: Got some fresh digits for you to process, but I can't get into any dets. I'll tell you all about it when I return to home base…_

With 'home base' he meant New York City and the FBI's headquarters, where both Seth and Bella worked for the Protective Services Unit (PSU). And the digits he mentioned could be anything from credit card records to license plate numbers to gun registrations. Probably nothing too exiting, though, seeing as he had waited 24 hours before making contact.

_Lethal_curves: Nothing urgent, I take it?_

_Wolfman007: Nothing that can't wait a day or two while I work on my tan._

_Lethal_curves: I see how it is… No hurry to return to the hamster wheel, eh? You better bring me a souvenir worth the wait!_

_Wolfman007: I'll think of something… Wolfman007: Speaking of the hamster wheel… What's new with you? Still shuffling papers?_

_Lethal_curves: Something like that._

Wolfman007: Any news on when your field status will be reinstated?

This time, it was Bella's turn to be vague.

_Lethal_curves: Soon(ish), I hope. At least I'm not suspended anymore. That has to count for something." _

_Wolfman007: You need me to have another talk with the __suits from Internal Affairs?_

Being assigned desk duty was the punishment of all punishments for a hungry and eager rookie agent like Clearwater. What Seth didn't know, however, was that Bella's current 'time-out' was more of a mutual agreement, rather than a disciplinary reprimand. Her co-workers only knew half the story and she liked to keep it that way a little while longer.

_Lethal_curves: Don't bother. I'm actually quite enjoying the break. It gives me time to reflect and gather my thoughts.  
Lethal_curves: I'm actually toying with the idea of going into profiling._

As predicted that last statement provoked an instant flow of words from her colleague.

_Wolfman007: And miss out on all the action?  
Wolfman007:You're chickening out because of one minor setback.  
Wolfman007: I thought you had more backbone than that. I'm sure good ol' Jake is celebrating in his grave right about now …._

Bella half-snorted, half-groaned at that, because, damn, if he wasn't right…

_Lethal_curves: Yeah, probably. He never did like my choice of career. He wanted a housewife in every sense of the word._

_Wolfman007: Your late husband was a jerk and don't get me started on rebound guy *cough*Cullen*cough. What you need is a new dating policy, not a new job!_

Ouch, that stung! But then again when did it not sting to hear that name. Bella's track record of failed relationships was a touchy subject between the two friends. Not that Seth had ever expressed any romantic interest in her or anything. No, they were just friends, close friends. So close in fact that he had vouched for her when she had risked losing her job because of her involvement with Edward Cullen - the man she had been assigned to protect a few months back in particularly nasty stalker case. A big no-no in the Handbook for FBI Agents.

_Wolfman007: *knocks on screen*__  
Wolfman007: You still there?_

Crap, she must have zoned out. The clock on her desk showed a quarter past ten.

_Lethal_curves: Still here, but we need to wrap this up. I have papers to shuffle and stamps to stamp… and an actual doctors appointment in about 15 minutes…_

_Wolfman007: Don't let me keep you… I have a tan to work on remember?_

_Lethal_curves: Rub it in why don't you!_

_Wolfman007:Don't be grumpy. If it makes you feel any better, I promise to bring you back a cactus or something… _

_Lethal_curves: Gee thanks!_

_Wolfman007: ur welcome  
Wolfman007: Now get off the computer and go kick some ass!_

_Lethal_curves Roger that!._

_Wolfman007 has logged out._

_

* * *

_

AN: It's short, I know but it will be longer in the succeeding chapters.

I loved the response to the first chapter! Thanks for keeping me motivated with your comments!

As some of you already know, this story is a stand alone sequel to one of my other stories 'A twisted tale'. I intend to make this as self explanatory as possible, meaning you should be able to skip the first story and jump straight into this one without getting too confused. Don't hesitate to ask if something isn't clear. I'm sure there will be questions about the back story as we go.

I'll be using my Authors notes to write up some introductions to all the major characters, which hopefully will provide enough background so that new readers can climb aboard.

_**Bella & Edward - our two star-crossed lovers**_  
Bella and Edward dated in high school, but broke it off because of a series of misunderstandings, irrational decisions and cruel circumstances. They went their separate ways after graduation, not seeing each other again until eight years later, when Edwards falls victim to a vicious stalker.

It's up to Special Agent Swan to protect her old high school sweetheart from what appears to be a very dark twisted mind; an assignment that turns out to be a little more than she bargained for. It's a complicated situation that becomes even more ticklish when old sparks fly between the FBI agent and her protégé.

Eventually the stalker is caught and the threat neutralized… But every victory comes with a prize. Where there are old wounds, there are insecurities. Once again secrets and lies becomes the undoing of the budding relationship between our two star-crossed lovers.

_**Jacob Black - the first husband**_  
No sportsman in the history of motorcycle racing had ever achieved as much, as quickly, and at such a tender age as Jacob Black, who became the youngest driver to ever claim a MotoGP World Championship point.

Edward would always remembered him as the scrawny boy from the Quileute Reservation who wrapped his bike around a lamppost outside Forks Motel and Liquor store.

No, scratch that, Edward would always remember Jacob Black as the guy who stole and eventually married 'his' Bella.

The beachfront ceremony had taken place mere eight month before the accident that cost Jacob his life.

..xXoXx.

_Last month, we posted a blind Item stating,  
'Which newly married speed-loving sport star defines cheating  
the same way Bill Clinton used to?  
The frisky sport star, who claims to be faithful,  
limits his interactions with his groupies to oral sex.  
You don't have to be a sports fan to recognize his name.'_

_Well, this month, we would like to honor a great motorcycle legend  
RIP Jacob Black, (1985- 2010)  
Two-time World Grand Prix Champion and Road Racing Legend.  
He was once involved with a beautiful woman who adored him  
(I'm sure you all saw the wedding pictures),  
this didn't stop him from having fun  
(again I'm sure you all saw the pictures).  
Carpe Diem... Life is short, live it up while you can,  
you newer know when that concrete wall will hit you!_

xXoXx.


	3. Chapter 3  Dear Diary

**Chapter 3 - Dear Diary**

* * *

_-16 months earlier-_

_.  
_

_**Dear Diary thingy**** ,**_

it's time for your annual entry.

Nothing's happened.

Yeah.

Bye.

End of rant.

Seriously, move along, nothing to read here…

_._

_.._

_..._

_..._

Who am I kidding, I'll bare my soul to you like I always do… PATHETIC is the word that comes to mind. Talking to yourself is one thing, but talking to a blank notebook is just lame! Then again, my big social activity these days is-no kidding-the rare occasion when I take the kiddo to McDonalds to play in the ball pit. I love the little guy, but there has to be more to life than snot, puke, and baby crap.

Oops, did I forgot to mention I have a baby now? My Bad.

I guess I really do have something to write about after all… Let me start over... here goes...

___.  
_

_____**Hi**__** there, book that I write in occasionally to waste time**__**!**_

How have you been? Don't answer that: it's rhetorical. You know why? Because I won't be able to hear your response anyway. Anddon't bitch about the lack of updates because I don't want to hear it. I know it's been almost two years.. Here's the deal, I stopped writing because I never had anything remotely interesting to write about, but I still kept you safe and made sure to wipe the dust off of you every other month or so. The least you can do is to drop the attitude and hear me out when I actually do take the time to write a proper update.

Oh, and just a warning before I continue. I go by my middle name these days. I will kill anyone who calls me Larissa. Good God, what was my mother thinking when she gave me that stupid Russian name?

So anyway, the name isn't the only thing that has changed over the last two years. I'm a mother now, I have an eight months old baby boy now, can you believe that? Scary right? I'm gonna be 21 next. Gosh, I remember turning 6 and starting school. It's crazy how the years go by so fast. Next thing you know my hair will be gray and my face will be wrinkled. That's why I've decided to put a few things in writing while I can still remember them.

So where do I start... I guess the baby thing came out of left field, seeing as I never did tell you much about the boys I dated. That's because I've never dated. ..period… Come on, my step dad is a Reverend and my mom the Reverends wife (even worse). There was not much room for any normal teenage behavior in that house.

My childhood was boring as shit and the same goes for my high school and teen years. Remember how awkward I was as a teenager? Skinny like a bean pole withgiantglasses, mousy brown hair and really, really bad skin. No boys ever gave me the time of day. I was the nerd with the expensive looking camera, but I never cared what anyone else thought of me. I didn't need boys, I didn't need friends. I had my carefully used and well loved classic Hasselblad V System camera and I had James…. and that was all that mattered as far as I was concerned.

I must have written about James before, right? James was my 10 years older and way cooler brother. He used to live in New York and work as a studio photographer… actually he probably still does, I mean he's not dead or anything… I shouldn't use past tense, it's just that I haven't spoken to him in years.

Anyway, it was James who gave me my first camera, who taught me how to develop negatives and how to use the darkroom. And more importantly it was James who first introduced me to my baby's daddy. 'Introduced' is maybe the wrong word, but it was his initia-…

_______-Journal entry interrupted ...-_

_______xXoOoXx________xXoOoXx_

Crap, someone's at the door!

Just then the bell above the entrance clanged, announcing the arrival of customers to serve. The young waitress jumped to her feet and hastily stowed her notebook away behind her.

Mornings weren't particularly busy, mostly just coffees-to-go. The typical customers were students and medical staff from the nearby Hospital - loyal java junkies, but lousy tippers. The tip jar usually got more attention during the afternoons, but working the early shift had other advantages; like leftover sandwiches that was too old to sell, but certainly not too old to eat.

Three or four beagles were usually enough to get her through the day. If the tip was generous enough to allow it, she'd threat herself to a McDonald's meal before taking off for her second job, cleaning corporate offices four hours a night, five nights a week. Whenever a paycheck came in she would stock up on noodles and canned soup. Diapers and baby supplies were expensive and money was incredibly tight, but she rarely ever went to bed on an empty stomach, something she prided herself on. She was doing all right, all things considered.

_______xXoOoXx________xXoOoXx_

_______-Journal entry continued...-_

So where did I leave off? Oh right, James introducing me to my baby's daddy. It all started the day of my sixteenth birthday when my brother showed up on our doorstep with a birthday gift I'll never forget. It was a plane ticket to NY and a promise of a summer job in his photo lab. I was ecstatic, what sixteen year old girl wouldn't be?

My mother was less than thrilled of course. She didn't much like the prospect of me going away over the summer And this was before she found Jesus and became a full-fledged born-again Christian, I might add. Not that that mattered much in this case. She still didn't like the idea of leaving me in my brother's care.

Coincidentally, or not so coincidentally, that was the year my mom's place got deemed un-livable after a nasty fire. Oops, good thing my James lived in a huge ass loft apartment and had a perfectly usable bedroom to spare. Let's just say I can be very persuasive when it comes to getting what I want… and boy did I want this! It was as though I knew something huge was just around the corner waiting for me.

As it turned out living in New York was not as glamorous as I had imagined it would be. Being a dark room assistant was hard work and the chemicals involved in the daily routine were pure poison. The headaches was a small price to pay, though, when in the end I got to meet the love of my life…. my baby's daddy… Let's call him Eddie for now.

Eddie was just a college kid back then. Gorgeous of course, with green eyes, light-brown almost reddish hair. He was a good looking guy who sometimes modeled to make means meet ends. Not that he needed too, his family is seriously loaded (they're the kind of people who like donating shitloads of money to charity that they don't care about just to 'look good'). Eddie is not a snobbish mean person, though. He's perfectly capable of going out and making his own money. He's talented and he's beautiful beyond words.

It was love at first sight, or should I say first listen. You see, the day I met him he was in my brothers studio working and they were doing a shoot were they used a guitar as a prop and boy was he skilled with that thing! It wasn't just a cool accessory to him. Turns out Eddie was more than just a pretty face, turns out he was a true musician.

It was in the first moment, that one millisecond, when I first saw him that I knew he was going to be mine. His music spoke to me, he touched my soul with just a few cords. I tried to explain this to him when he came over to say hello, but he just looked at me funny… He didn't get it then, but I don't blame him. Guys can be a little slow sometimes.

I decided I could afford to bide my time because I knew, without a doubt, that once I got through to him, Edward Anthony Cullen, would forever be in my possession.

Speaking of time, I need to get in the shower before junior wakes up. I'll write more later, I promise…

Love always,

Angela Cullen

_______

* * *

_

.

AN: So, Angela is the baby mama and surprise, surprise, she kept a journal of sorts. What did you think of that first diary entry? It starts out innocent enough, but she speaks of Edward as if he is her possession. And the way she mentioned the fire in her mothers kitchen made it sound like she planned it or at the very least took advantage of it. And on top of that our darling James is her precious brother, that fact alone should be enough raise suspicions… If you don't get what I'm talking about read the introductions below…

**.**

**A stalker is born- Angela Weber**

Angela Weber was born Larissa Angelica Grey on april 23, 1990, in Holley, Florida. Her parents divorced earlyon in Angela's life and her mother Barbara remarriedreverend Thomas Weber of the Baptist Congregation in Seattle.

The biological father, Angelo Demarcus Wilson, was a hard-drinking criminal who died in a shooting during an attempted store robberyjust a few years back. Her biological brother, however, is still alive and kicking. James T Wilson appears to be following in his fathers shady footsteps. If the rumors are true he is the same Wilson that is wanted for the murder of judge Harridan's nephew. (Remember Bella's mention of a particularly difficult murder case that had the entire bureau in a buzz?)

James started his career as a studio photographer,but he soon developed a somewhat questionable reputation when he started dabbling in porn. In 2003he helped his then barely teenaged sister get a summer job as a darkroom assistant. To make a long story short, the young girl witnessed more nudity and sexual aversion that summer than any young girl should ever have to witness. Jamie was caught with his pant's down, literally… He was sued for sexual harassment and his sister was forced to testify against him in court. It was her words that got him convicted, something brother dearest wasn't too happy about. Death threats followed, hence the sudden name change. Larissa Grey became Angela Weber and a stalker was born…

You see Angela never quite recovered from all that drama. The girl was in and out of mental health programs until she turned 18 and could cut all ties with her mother. The girl relocated to NY where she started working as a cashier, a flower delivery person, and a nanny. That's how she got reacquainted with a certain Edward Cullen. Coincidence? No of course not…Not only did she purposely seek him out, but she had some rather disturbing photos of him in her possession. Nude photos… her brother's handy work, but that's a completely different story…

_______________**.**_

**The good doctor and his wife- Carlisle and Esme Cullen**

Dr Carlisle Cullen is perhaps best known for his accumulated wealth as the co-founder of a highly successful biotech company, but simultaneously he also holds the position as the Chief of Surgery at Forks General Hospital.

His wife Esme, has earned herself a place in the Forks history books by being crowned Miss Washington many, many years ago, making her somewhat of a local celebrity. Outside of her hometown, however, her name is commonly associated with the interior design trade publication that she co-edits.

Evil tongues would say that Dr. Cullen bought himself the position of Chief of Surgery at Forks General Hospital after a nasty mal-practice lawsuit, but to be honest without his generous donations there wouldn't be a medical facility of that sophistication and size in Forks to begin with.


	4. Chapter 4  From here to paternity

**Chapter 4**

_**From Here To Paternity**_

The plane ride to Seattle can only be described as a nightmare of mental torture.

At first Edward had been secretly pleased when he learned that Alice had failed to book herself on the same flight, but by the time he was up in the air he would have done just about anything to have her there by his side to distract him. There were children literally everywhere he looked.… Crying babies… rowdy toddlers... snarky preteens… not to mention pregnant bellies all over the place!

Thankfully there was no turbulence to speak of, because neither his brain nor his stomach would have been able to handle it. He did not like flying much to begin with and getting through it cold sober, without as much as a tranquilizer in his system, was a pain in the arse.

Plugging his headphones into his ears, he cranked his IPod up to the max and shut his eyes to keep the anxiety under control. He half dozed, half drifted upon the sea of consciousness, while his mind kept processing the same thoughts over and over again.

Never in a million years would he have expected to find himself in a situation like this. Who was this woman? Why would she lie about something so easily verifiable as the paternity of a child? It made no sense. Hadn't he already dealt with his fair share of loonies?

All those questions were still swirling through his mind, when he reached his destination seven hours later.

.  
….

.  
"Welcome to Geisinger medical center. How may I help you?"

"Hi, I have an appointment with ... er...with someone, whom I can't recall the name of..." Edward groaned inwardly at his own stupidity as he dug through the contents of his coat pockets. "Hold on a sec, I have the information here somewhere. "

"What is your name, sir?" the female receptionist asked without looking up from her computer.

"My name is Edward Cullen and I'm here to have my blood drawn."

This time her head whipped up and for a moment he thought he saw sympathy, or maybe it was disgust, flicker across her face.

"Mr. Cullen, we have been expecting you. In fact, you have quite the waiting committee waiting for you."

"The police?" It was more a statement than a question. He had seen the cars parked up front. "Yeah, I figured that might be the case."

The receptionist shrugged, but said nothing to confirm or deny it. Instead she reached into a drawer and pulled out a clipboard and a pen. "There are forms to be filled out, but first let me show you to one of our private waiting rooms."

Edward wasn't too surprised when the 'private waiting' room turned out to be anything but private.

"Hi, Edward Cullen is it?" The question came from a tall, efficient-looking woman with a briefcase tucked under one arm. "We spoke on the phone. I'm social worker Maggie Thompson, and this is Officer Franklin."

A police badge was flashed and a man in a gray suit stepped forward, "George Franklin, Seattle police department. Thank you, Mr. Cullen, for flying in on such a short notice. "

"Not a problem. I came here straight from the airport. I want to get this sorted out as soon as possible. And please call me Edward. "

"Your co-operation is greatly appreciated, " the police man, officer Franklin, said as the two men shook hands. "I'd like to ask a few questions. If that's okay?"

"Um..," Edward hesitated. "Should I have a lawyer present for this?"

"No, that won't be necessary. You're not in any kind of legal trouble," Maggie Thompson explained as she motioned for Edward to take a seat in on one of the empty chairs in the waiting room. "This is standard procedure. We just need to gather as much information as possible."

"Okay, but I doubt I'll be able to give you the answers you are looking for, though."

"We'll see about that." The man in the gray suit flipped his notebook open and pulled up a seat. "Let's start with the letter that was found with the child. What's your take on it?"

"I have read it and reread a zillion times but I still can't make any sense out of it." Edward scratched the side of his nose as his eyes darted between officer Franklin and social worker Thompson. "I don't remember ever meeting this 'Kebi' woman or having a one night stand with her, or any other woman in the Seattle area for that matter."

"You were here, in Seattle, during the last two weeks of Mars 2007, though. Isn't that correct?" officer Franklin asked for clarification.

"I think so. I mean, I don't recall the exact dates…."

"I made some phone calls. According to the hotel records, you stayed at the Warwick Seattle Hotel for almost four weeks, from the 12th of March to the 5th of April 2007".

"Okay, that sounds about right," Edward nodded. "Look, I was in town to do a recording. I'm a musician and it was a strictly work-related trip … no parties, no girls, no hook ups or one-night stands… My sister and business partner can confirm this when she gets here tomorrow."

"So, the letter is bogus, is that what you're saying?"

"I'm as clueless as you are on this."

Officer Franklin, grunted and flipped a page in his notebook. "Your family has been rather fortunate when it comes to business and earnings. It wouldn't be the first time someone tried a stunt like this in hope of getting their hands on cash, or attention, or status."

Edward's forehead furrowed in a frown. "But if it's money she's after, then why would she hand over the child without asking for anything in return?"

"She could be biding her time. She'll have more to bargain with if the paternity test goes her wa-…"

"That won't happen. That child can't possibly be mine!"

"Because there were no parties, no girls, no hook ups or one-night stands during your stay in Seattle," officer Franklin concluded.

"Exactly!"

"And if we look beyond the given timeframe? Any bad break ups or scorned ex-girlfriends we should know about?"

"No."

"What about groupies?"

The question was not unexpected and, yet, Edward was somehow unprepared for it.

"Excuse me?" he asked, trying not to sound too defensive.

"You're a musician and with the way internet works these days you don't even have to tour to earn yourself a fanbase."

"I compose commercial jingles and television theme music. I doubt that counts as panty dropping material."

"According to our records, you have filed multiple police reports over the last year and a half. All of them stating that you were being stalked by an unknown woman. From what I understand several of those incidents occurred while you were onstage performing or backstage in between gigs. Isn't that correct?"

"Yes, but that situation has been resolved… permanently… I don't do club gigs anymore and the stalker has met her maker, which I'm sure those records of yours covers in depth." Once again his eyes darted between Officer Franklin and the social worker. "I have already told you I don't recall having a one night stand with this 'Kebi' woman or any other woman that could have resulted in a chi-.."

He didn't have to finish the sentence, because at that precise moment, the door behind them swung open.

"Mr. Cullen, we're ready for you now," a nurse announced from the doorway.

Edward wasn't sure he should feel relieved by the interruption or not. '

Out of the frying pan, into the fire…

.  
...

.

"I really hate needles." Edward confessed to the calm, middle-aged looking nurse, as he followed her through a maze of corridors.

"The doctor will take good care of you," she assured him with a smile as she opened the door into the examination room.

"Dr Reed, your next appointment is here."

"Excellent, come on in Mr. Cullen," the physician rose from her chair and extended her hand

"I'm Dana Reed," she introduced herself, but Edward didn't see the outstretched hand; all he saw was the toddler seated on the table in the middle of the room. A small, fragile little figure with a head full of tousled light brown hair. A little boy, so thin and frail it looked as if a puff of wind would blow him over.

It was the face that threw Edward the most. The color of the eyes were lighter… gray almost and the nose was different, but the shape of the mouth, the chin, the eyes, the slant of the cheekbones, was the same as what he saw in the mirror every morning.

"Whoa…is that…is that the kid?" Edward stuttered, grabbing onto a nearby chair for support as his legs turned to jelly beneath him. "I mean, I didn't realize HE was going to be here."

"I was under the impression you were okay with meeting the boy, that you had requested it even. But if this bothers you, I can have the nurse take him outside until we are done here."

"No, it's okay," Edward said faintly. "I did ask to see him, I just didn't think it would happen until after the test was conducted, that's all."

"You sure you're alright with this, Mr. Cullen?"

Edward nodded. "It's okay…" he repeated with another quick glance towards the table where the child was seated. The boy had a stuffed animal in his lap and a stethoscope around his neck and was seemingly too engrossed with playing to notice any of the commotion around him.

"As you know, Mr. Cullen, it takes at least two DNA samples to conduct a paternity test. In this case I'll need one sample from the alleged father and one from the child," the doctor explained as she snapped a new pair rubber gloves onto her hands. "It won't take long and you won't feel a thing."

"I certainly hope so, because I for one don't like N-E-E-D-L-E-S," He spelled out that last word and suppressed a shudder. "I would imagine the same thing goes for most children, right?"

"Right, that's why the actual DNA test doesn't require any blood work these days. Instead of a needle I'll use a Q-Tip sized swab to collect a sample of cells from the inside surface of the cheek. It couldn't be easier. "

"As long as it's a legally accepted method, I'm satisfied."

"It is. Take a seat and I'll talk you through it," the doctor suggested motioning to a stool next to examination table. "I can assure you that, when collected properly, epithelial cells are just as accurate as blood. I need you to swallow and then open your mouth wide for me. Think of it as a really quick dentist appointment, minus the pain of course."

Swallowing nervously Edward opened his mouth and shut his eyes, preparing for the worst. If there was anything he hated more than needles it was going to the dentist.

"Now hold still for a moment." Dr Reed instructed as she with gentle hands began rubbing a swab against the inside of Edward's cheek. She used two swabs, one for each side of his mouth.

"We're done. Good job."

"That's it?"

"That's it. Now we seal the samples and tag them," the doctor explained, placing each of the wooden swabs into a brown, envelope looking containers. "…and then send it off to the lab."

Satisfied with the procedure, Dr Reed changed into a fresh pair of rubber gloves and retrieved a new set of swabs before turning towards little Anthony.

"Come on, your turn kiddo. Can you open your mouth wide for me?"

Needle or no needle, the child didn't like the idea of being poked and probed. Despite his tiny frame he had a good set of lungs and wasn't afraid to use them. The high pitched wail that followed was more disturbing than a fire alarm and twice as loud.

When neither coaxing nor gentle words seemed to have any effect Dr. Reed reverted to subtle bribery.

"Look what I have!" Reaching into the front pocket of her white lab coat she pulled out a red-and-white-striped lollipop.

"Isa c..c..candy?" the little boy hiccuped in between sobs.

"It's candy on a stick." Dr Reed nodded, "It's a lollipop, a very special lollipop."

"Is speso?"

"Yep. It's special because only big boys can have it," Dr. Reed told the child ins dead serious voice. "Mr. Cullen why don't you hold this for me?"

"I have?" Anthony reached for the polka striped sucker just as she passed it on to Edward.

"Nope, I'm not sure you're big enough," she shook her head, with a wink in Edward's direction. "Anthony, if you want it, you'll have to open your mouth wide and show me your tongue. Can you do that for me?"

The little boy heaved a deep sigh and put his hands on his little hips, "Why?"

"Because I need to know if your mouth is big enough. It's a really big lollipop and we wouldn't want it to get stuck in there, now would we?"

"Kay... I sow I big…. no stuck," Anthony nodded slowly and wiped his eyes with the hem of his t-shirt.

"Mr. Cullen, some distraction would be nice. Why don't you show the boy how it's done."

"Eh…sure. Go like this." Edward demonstrated by opening his mouth and sticking out his tongue. Anthony giggled and opened wide to copy the grimace.

The minute the boy stuck his tongue out Dr Reed was there to swab with the Q-Tip.

"The candy trick never fails," she chuckled as she sealed and tagged the second DNA sample.

"Looks like my work here is done. We should have the results in 3 to 5 business days."

.

* * *

AN:

Merry xmas! I'll see you in the New Year with chapters aplenty!

There is a thread for this story over at twilighted feel free to stop by anytime and say hi!


	5. Chapter 5 From Here To Paternity part II

**Chapter 5**

**From Here To Paternity part II**

_-14 months prior to the child being found alone in Seattle-_

Why hello there journal thingy,

I bet you thought I had forgotten about you! Think again, I'm not done with you just yet. I don't get much alone time these days, that's all. Oh, the joy of teething…. Anyway, the monster is asleep now…finally…. It took me over an hour to put him down. He screams bloody murder if I go out of his sight and of course, being his father's son, he has enough voice capacity to wake the entire neighbourhood.

Speaking of daddy dearest… I know what you're thinking, if baby daddy is THE ONE (with capital letters), then why am I alone to care for this child? The answer is simple: he doesn't know he is a daddy yet and I need to keep it that way for a little while longer.

Something I've learned form my past mistakes: if I push too hard or come on too strong he's only going to get freaked out….

So here's my plan: first I need to get the boy wonder weaned off of the milk and onto solid food so that I can get my life and my body back (can't wait!). Then I'll go to NY and look him up (again can't wait!). I've got the address and everything so it shouldn't be that much of a problem. I'm not sure he'll recognise me. I'm not sure I want him to recognise me. I figure I can work the friend angle for a while, and then take it from there...

_Love always,_

_Angela Cullen_

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...xXx.

.

"All done!"

Bella looked up to see her gynecologist smiling towards her.

"You can get dressed now, Isabella, we're done with this part."

Bella didn't need to be told twice. Jumping of the table, her paper gown flapping behind her, she dived for cover behind the privacy screen in the corner of the room.

Once fully clothed again, she felt more at ease. Dr. Montgomery was seated behind her desk finishing writing up her notes.

"So, I've looked at the results and everything looks fine. No abnormalities, everything is exactly as it should be. However, there are two main areas concerning me."

"I'm guessing my blood pressure is too high for your liking. I've heard that one before… "

"Yes, that's one of the things I'd like to discuss with you, but first let's talk about your weight. Your body mass index is still a bit low. Dehydration could become a major risk factor if you don't start taking proper care of yourself."

"I know, I'm working on it. It sure didn't help that I came down with food poisoning over the Halloween weekend."

"Vitamins are important and I would suggest plenty of fluids and foods high in water and nutritional content such as fruits and vegetables."

"I will eat better, I promise," Bella vowed and crossed her heart to validate her promise. "I don't suppose chocolate counts as a nutritious food group."

"That would be a no, but if it helps you could always try one of those chocolate protein shakes."

"I'll get one on my way home."

"Good! Now let's talk about your blood pressure. It's is slightly elevated, nothing too alarming, but you really should try and reduce your stress level," the doctor said giving her a stern look before going on. "I can tell by your facial expression that you've gotten this speech before."

"Yeah, a few times. Let see… eat healthier, rest more and work less. Did I miss anything?"

"I realize cutting down your work hours might be difficult, given your line of profession. Multitasking is good and all, but I think learning how to delegate is the key here. Have you told your employer yet?"

"My boss knows, but not the rest of my colleagues," Bella replied, shaking her head. "I'd like to wait a few more weeks."

Dr. Montgomery pursed her lips. "Okay. I'll leave it up to you, but the sooner you tell them the more time they have to get used to it and the sooner they can offer you some support. What about your friends and family, do they know?"

Bella shook her head no. "Only my boss knows."

"Having someone to confide in is always helpful. Common sense says venting is an almost foolproof way to ease tension and stress. I'm here if you're worried about anything or have questions, but you need those closest to you to understand what you are going through."

"I've made plans. Christmas is coming up, I'll tell them real soon."

"It will be easier than you think, you'll see!" the older woman said with conviction. "I think that's enough for today."

Bella nodded and rose from her chair. "Will you call when the blood work is back from the lab?"

"Of course and if nothing new comes up I'll see you back here in, shall we say, two weeks? Does that work for you?"

"I'll make it work," Bella nodded her agreement.

"Alright, take care and I'll see you soon."

And with that Bella was free to go.

Ah, freedom! She had a whole freaking hour before she had to be back at work growing mountain of paperwork that had taken up residence on her desk, courtesy on her co workers. Someone was delegating alright, but it wasn't Bella, that's for sure….

.

...xXx.

.

_-At the same time in another city at another medical facility-_

_.  
_

"You have a WITNESS, someone who can leave an actual description of the woman?" Edward all but shouted, not bothering to suppress his frustration any longer. "I can't believe you didn't tell me about this from the start!"

They were back in the not-so-private waiting room again and he was beginning to grow tired of both the company and the questions.

"Do you want to hear this or not? because if you're going to be difficult about it, we could always finish our little conversation down at the police station," Officer Franklin suggested with crossed arms and a quirked eyebrow.

Closing his eyes, Edward mentally counted to ten before growling, "I am being as cooperative as can be expected, so don't give me that crap."

"Gentlemen, our number one priority here is the child, let's not forget that!" social worker Maggie Thompson reminded them calmly. "We do indeed have a witness. This woman may have abandoned her child, but at least she had the decency to make sure someone knew where and what to look for before she took off. Isn't that correct, officer Franklin?"

"Yes, I can confirm that the witness is a Catholic priest, whom the woman spoke with during confession."

"During confession?"

"During confession… and as I'm sure you know, whatever is said in confession remains in confession," the man rolled his eyes, indicating his opinion on the matter. "The only details the priest has been willing to divulge so far is that the person who left the child in his 'care', so to speak, was a non-Catholic woman, of average height and weight, with dark hair and brown eyes. "

"That's it?"

"That's it."

"But if the woman was non-Catholic, why did she pick a Catholic church?"

"You think fast, I like that Mr. Cullen. If you want to know what I think, I think she picked that specific church for a reason, and I'm willing to bet I know what that reason was. You said before that you were in Seattle to do a recording, right? "

"Yes, that's correct."

"I haven't had time to double check this yet, but did you by any chance work with Peter Lucien, DJ and producer extraordinaire."

Edward's eyebrow rose in surprise. "Not exactly, but yes I've met him, he's the owner of the studio we rented."

"Right, well he's also Randall Lucien's brother. "

"And who is Randall Lucien?"

"Father Lucien, he's our witness. Looks like the woman is playing 'Six degrees of separation' with us… "

"Or maybe it's just one big coincidence, " Edward insisted stubbornly.

Officer Franklin, of course, didn't look all too convinced. "If you think this is coincidence… " he said reaching inside his coat, which hung over the back of his chair. " - … then I'd love to hear how you explain THIS," he added, pulled out what looked to be a piece of paper in a ziplock bag.

The object was rectangular in shape and about the size of a Kleenex tissue, but much thicker. There was a bunch of numbers scribbled across it with no words to indicate what they were...or what they meant.

"Do you recognize the numbers?"

"Well, 206 is the Seattle area code so I'm guessing they are phone numbers?"

"The first series of numbers, the one starting with 206, is the phone number to the Warwick Seattle Hotel. Those other two constellations, 120307 and 080407, represents the dates during which you checked in and out of the hotel."

"That still doesn't prove anything. I know for a fact that most hotels save their records for years. Maybe she works there, have you thought of that?"

"It's one of the possibilities we're looking into," officer Franklin nodded. "Now, what's your take on this?" he asked flipping the ziplock bag over to reveal what was on the other side of the piece of paper.

Edward's heart nearly skipped a beat when he realized what exactly it was he was looking at. The numbers weren't written on ordinary paper, they were written on the backside of a photography… a black and white photography… a photography he recognized all to well…

This was not happening. Not again. It couldn't be. No. No…

Thinking something was wrong with his sight, Edward blinked, rubbed his eyes, and looked again. But no. There was no mistake, he was still looking at a picture of his naked self, sprawled out on a fake looking bear rug. His mind

swam with blurred fragments of memories, unpleasant memories. Memories he had tried, but failed to forget.

"Judging by the look on your face I'd say you've seen this before?"

The question jolted him back from the dark place his thoughts had taken him. Unable to get the words past the lump in his throat, he nodded his head and pushed the photograph away so that he wouldn't have to look at it again.

"You look quite young in the photograph, is that correct?"

Again he nodded, still struggling to find his voice. "I...," he began unevenly, "It was in college. I did some modeling, a very, very short lived career, I can assure you..."

"You don't have to tell us anything you're not comfortable sharing." Not too surprisingly it was the social worker who offered the reassuring words. "I think we all did things in college that we would change if we could. It's part of the whole growing up experience."

Officer Franklin was more blunt in his assessment. "It's a nude photo. This woman has seen you in your birthday suit and she has pictures to prove it. Don't you think it's time you start taking this thing a little more seriously?"

Edward shook his head. "It's not like that. There was this one unfortunate photo shoot, many, many years ago... I thought I had confiscated all the pictures, but apparently I was wrong…."

"You spoke of a stalker, a female stalker. Could she be responsible for this?" Maggie Thompson asked, gesturing towards the ziplockbag on the table.

"No…. that's impossible. Sure the stalker had all sorts of intrusive photos in her collection, even a few ones related to the one you just showed me, but she is dead and buried…. and besides, she was childless. I was never…" Edward trailed off, not quite sure how much he should reveal. Then coming to a decision, he rose to his feet. "Look, I was never intimate with that snake. Before I say anything else I think you should speak with Special Agent Isabella Swan. She's with the FBI, the Protective Services Unit."

"Special Agent Isabella Swan from the Protective Services Unit," Franklin repeated, as both he and Thompson took notes of he name. "Anything else we should know?"

"No, I'll get you the contact information in the morning when my sister gets here, but that's all you're getting from me today. As far as I'm concerned we're done here. I'm leaving and you can't stop me!"

"You're free to go," the police officer agreed reluctantly. "Don't skip town until the test results are back."

Edward threw the man a dark glance. "Wouldn't dream of it. Now if you excuse me, I'd like to go find myself a hotel room and a bar and drink myself into a stupor."

He turned leave, but a hand on his arm stopped him before he could reach the door.

"Mr. Cullen, Edward, there is one more thing you and I need to discuss, … in private," social worker Maggie Thompson told him as she motioned for him to step aside and let officer Franklin leave the room.

She didn't speak again until the door was shut and they were alone.

"What do you know about the foster care system?"

...xXx.

.

A*knocks on screen* Are you still there or did you get lost in all the dialog? Next chapter will be better, more (toddler) action and less talking. There is a teaser for the next chapter up on the twilighted forum.

Now I have a question that maybe you guys can help me with… I love the word 'toddler' (I'm probably overusing it), there's no equivalent to it in Swedish that I can think of. At what age does a baby become a toddler and at what age is the child to old to be called a toddler?

I know the word has to do with the child's walking abilities originally. I have a nice who is three, I saw her on Christmas eve and I must say she is mastering the art of walking and running to a perfection now. So clearly she's not a toddler anymore. My Anthony character on the other hand is two years old, he's walking and running, but he's still somewhat wobbly on his legs. He's also quite small for his age and he's still in diapers. So, sill a toddler? yes/no?

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_**Introduction of**_

_**Jamie T Wilson and the nudie photo shoot**_

This dates back to the summer of 2003, when Edward and his brother Emmett, who both dabbled in modeling for a short period of time in college, were booked to do a photo shoot for a print ad, promoting a popular sports drink. The photo shoot was legit. Everything was handled by a small but well renowned agency in Manhattan. The photographer was a freelancer working under the name Jamie T Wilson.

Everything went smoothly, the two brothers spent a day in the studio, where they were styled, directed and photographed by a crew of professionals. The following day, however, Edward Cullen got a call from the photographer asking if he could come back later that week for some additional shots. Apparently there were some technical issues… Apparently one of the assistants ruined a whole roll of film in the darkroom. Edward went back to do the re-shoot and finish the job.

He showed up at the studio alone, which was perhaps the biggest mistake he could have made, because so did the photographer… It was a hot summer day and the air-conditioner was supposedly broken. The photographer kept trying to persuade him to pose shirtless, which of course was not part of the original deal.

They took a lunch break around noon, Chinese takeout. Edward drank mineral water and ate an egg roll. The next thing he remembers is waking up on the floor, with his clothes removed and the photographer hovering over him with his camera.

To make a long story short he fought his way out and escaped with minor head and right hand injuries. Thankfully there were no signs of sexual assault were found, but the whole episode was still disturbing enough that it would come to follow Edward in form of nightmares for many years to come.

The incident was never reported, well not until years later when Edward's not-so-friendly stalker got her hand on some rather, shall we say, delicate photos.

Did I mention that the stalker, Angela, is the sister of our creepy photographer? Isn't that lovely? Siblings sharing the same hang ups and obsessions…


	6. Timeline

**Happy new year!**

I must say I loved the reviews for the last chapter, lots of good questions and theories. While some of you are spot on in your guesses I also noticed that some of you are quite confused. Therefore I've put together a list of questions and answers that I hope will help. No real update this time in other words… sorry… you'll have new chapter in a few days (hope that is okay with everyone). There is also another treat for you at the bottom of this page in the form of a timeline.

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**Is this a Bella & Edward story? Will there be a happily ever after ending?  
**Yes, E&B all the way. It will take a while before we get any E & B interaction, but they will get there eventually. *hint* the M rating is not for bad language or violence…

**Is Bella pregnant with Edward's baby?**

Well, this story 'A toxic lullaby' is a continuation to my previous story 'A twisted tale'. The last sentence in that first story was "You're pregnant". So, yeah, it certainly looks that way, but you won't hear Bella talk about it (or read about her talking about it ;) just yet. And when she's ready to talk about it, I would imagine the father of her baby would be the first one she will tell. This could be a problem seeing as her and Edward isn't exactly on speaking terms at this point in the story…

**Is Edward Anthony's father? How long are we going to have to wait for the result of the DNA test?  
**The child is indeed connected to Edward, the question is how… If Edward has to wait 3-5 business days for the result of the paternity test. I think it's only fair to keep the suspense up for 3-5 chapter (closer to 3 would be my guess).

**Did Angela get to Edward while he was drugged (and photographed in his birthday suit)****? Is that how Anthony was conceived?  
**No, that was her brother James messing with Edward for his own perverse pleasures. Edward _wasn't__the first or the only_ one James lured into the studio under false pretences. Take Angela for example… James didn't invite his sister to hang with him that summer just to be nice to her, he had other plans for her and as a result of that, young Angela ended up witnessing to more nudity and sexual aversion that summer than any young girl should ever have to deal with. This was the summer of 2003, though, and Antony wasn't conceived until 2007.

**Are Angela and the dead stalker the same person****, or is there another stalker on the loose? Is Angela really dead? Is Angela really Anthony's mother?**

Yes, Angela is really dead, but before she died she managed to squeeze out a baby, Anthony. The last year of her life was spent stalking and harassing poor Edward. There is no other stalker in this story.

The journal entries are obviously old ones from when Angela was still alive. So far there have been two entries; one dated back 15 months and the other one 14 months.

_**So, what do we know about the stalker/baby situation:**_

-When the first few journal entries were written Angela was still in Seattle taking care of her baby and working multiple jobs to keep up with her rent. Have you noticed how she never mentions Anthony by his name? This is an indication that the girl never really bonded with her child.

-We know that she eventually left Seattle to go to New York and find (and stalk) Edward. You'll read more about this in future journal entries.

-We know she didn't bring her child along when she left Seattle (there was no mention of a child in 'A twisted tale' and also Edwards said in the previous chapter that he believed the stalker was childless).

-Someone else must have cared for the child while Angela was busy stalking Edward.

-Someone else must have left the child (and the letter) at that church, because the stalker/Angela was already dead at that point.

_**Conclusion:**_ I wasn't planning on giving you this little clue just yet …. but here we go… Kebi and Angela is not the same person. The person that wrote the letter that was found with the child was not the child's mother. Look at how the letter is worded, "I can't take proper care of him. I love Anthony. I love him as much as I possibly can, but I can not be a mother to him". This Kebi person must have panicked when she realized that Angela was dead and that no one was coming to retrieve the child.

**_So that leaves us with: who is Kebi and why didn't someone come for the child? Angela had quite a few living relatives after all…._**

**.**

**.**

**Timeline**

I've taken the time to write up a timeline for you all. It's quite long (no wonder you're having trouble to keep up ;). It's only the bolded parts that are important for this story though, the rest is just backstory…

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_**-*High school years*-**_

Single mom Renee meets Phil Dwyer, a retired major league baseball player campaigning for higher office.

Bella escapes to her estranged biological father in Forks, after some rather embarrassing footage of her mom and new step dad is leaked to the press.

Bella meets Edward at the police station in Forks where he is awaiting his punishment for having pulled off a sloppy high speed parallel parking job that involved an illegal U-turn and two wheels on the sidewalk (not the first, nor the last, run in he had with chief Swan)

Bella and Edward start dating… in secret… because Chief Swan wouldn't let his darling daughter date anyone, let alone go anywhere near one of the Cullen boys.

Chief Swan catches his daughter and her boyfriend going at it _hot and heavy_in the passenger seat of Edward's Volvo.

Bella spends the remaining weeks of the school year in house arrest and is later sent of to Renee to cool off for a few weeks.

Edward takes off for Europe and a summer music scholarship at the Horack institute in Vienna (read: music boot camp), courtesy of daddy Carlisle.

Bella comes back home to Forks only to find out that Chief Swan has a bit of a mental break down. Long time friend Jacob is there to help her deal with the situation.

Edward comes back to Forks only to find Bella, his Bella, in the arms of a certain biker boy from the La Push reservation.

Edward refuses to listen to Bella and chooses to believe the rumours without checking the facts.

The final nail in the coffin comes when Edward beats Jake to a bloody pulp after having caught him in a lip lock with some skanky blonde cheerleader, behind Bella's back.

Bella refuses to listen to Edward and chooses team Jacob… or team Suzuki as it turns out… Because biker boy's dedication and hard work on the race tracks eventually lands him a lucrative contract with Paul Denning's well-known and hugely successful Rizla Suzuki Team.

Bella and Edward graduate high school.

.

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_**-*College years*-**_

Edward heads for New York and Columbia University to study classical music composition.

Chief Swan steps down _from his post as Chief of police because of medical issues (Alzheimer)._ Bella turns down her Colombia scholarship to take care of her father.

**While in college Edward**** dabbles in modeling for a short period of time. It all comes to an end when he meets shady photographer Jamie (James) T Wilson. Drugged to unconsciousness, Edward wakes up on the floor naked with James hovering over him with his camera.**

Jacob Black becomes the youngest driver to ever claim a MotoGP World Championship point.

Charlie retires to a nursing home in Florida in the hopes of convincing his daughter to resume her college plans. Bella surprises both her parents by deciding to pursue a career in law enforcement.

**Jamie T Wilson**** is sued for sexual harassment. His sister's testimony gets him convicted, something brother dearest isn't too happy about. Death threats follows.**

**.**

**.  
**

_**-*Adulthood*-**_

Edward stays in New York after college where he starts making a name for himself as a writer/composer of music for advertising.

**Edwards spends time at the**** Warwick Seattle Hotel in Seattle, while ****recording some instrumental pieces for **_**a TV documentary.**_

Police officer Isabella Swan, from the Phoenix Police district, marries childhood friend and long time financial supporter Jacob Black in a beach ceremony at First Beach in La Push.

Bella completes her FBI training in Quantico while her hubby is off tearing up tracks and winning races _both in the States and across_ the Atlantics.

**A baby boy, who goes by the name ****Anthony, is born. The exact location for his birth is still unknown, but somewhere in Seattle would be a good guess. **

Two_-__time World Grand Prix Champion and_Road Racing Legend Jacob Black dies in hospital as a result of a serious head injury sustained during the Indianapolis Grand Prix.

.

.

_**-***__**The Stalker Era*-**_

**Angela Weber relocates from Seattle to New York**** where she starts working as a cashier, a flower delivery person, and a nanny for, none other than, Elliott McCarty Cullen (Edward's nephew and godson).**

A 28-year-old male (aka Judge Harridan's nephew) is found dead, lying naked, face down on a parking lot outside a night club in Rochelle. The boyfriend, Jamie T Wilson, is wanted for the murder.

Bella is transferred to the Protective Services Unit (PSU) in New York around the same time as Edward receives the first of many notes deliver in a blood red envelope.

**Five months,**** 101 notes and 256 phone calls later and Edward's 'friendly' stalker has turned ****into an obsessive psychopath**** watching his every move. **

**The first of Jamie's perverse nudie pictures**** resurfaces in Edward's bedroom (no signs of breaking and entering, mind you). Edward realizes that the police are unable to ensure his safety. **

**Alice gets the brilliant idea of calling an old high school friend for help. Special agent Bella Bla-… er Swan gets assigned the case.**

Bella goes under cover and takes on the identity of Arizona Bell Hawkins. Ms. Hawkins lands herself a part time job at Emmett's gym as well as a one room apartment in the building where the most of the Cullen siblings residence.

**After a few months of cat-and-****mouse game (or perhaps snake-and-rat game is more fitting) the identity of the stalker is reviled and Angela Weber is take into custody. **

**Ms. Weber makes certain admissions before ****she takes matters into her own hands and hangs herself inside her holding cell.**

Edward and Bella part ways on not so friendly terms.

Bella learns that she's pregnant.

.

.

_**-***__**The Anthony Era*-**_

**A boy is found abandoned on the steps of a church in Seattle. A letter signed with the name 'Kebi' names Edward Cullen as the father of the child.**

**Edward heads for Seattle to take a paternity test, when more of ****Jamie T Wilson's (****shady photographer and murder suspect) ****perverse nudie pictures resurface.**


	7. chapter6 A Pitbull Terrier & a Chihuahua

**Chapter 6 - A pitbull terrier and a trembling Chihuahua**

**.  
**

..xXOXx.

.

_AN: Elliott William Cullen is Edward's godson and nephew. He's a few months younger than Anthony, but seeing as he's Emmett's son he's quite big for his age ;)_

..xXOXx.

.

It wasn't until Edward was unpacking his suitcase he realized that he had forgotten to turn his phone back on after his flight. He slid it out of his pocket and flipped it open only to be greeted by the words "12 new messages."

One from his chiropractor, two from Emmett and a whopping nine voice messages from Alice.

Sinking down into the nearest chair, he ran a hand through his hair and contemplated his options. Finally coming to a decision, he dialed his sister's number.

"Edward?" she answered on the first ring, which told him she was hovering over the phone in anticipation. "I've been trying to reach you for hours!"

"Sorry, I went straight to the clinic once I got here and the whole thing took a lot longer than I expected."

"You've taken the test already? How did it go? When will you have the result?"

"They'll get back to me in 3 to 5 business days. The police want me to stay put until then, so I guess I'm in house arrest for the time being."

"House arrest? I knew I shouldn't have let you leave without a lawyer!"

"It's not like that, it's strictly for practical reasons, " Edward hurried to explain when he heard her worried voice. "It's because I've got the kid staying with me."

"What?"

"The social worker seems to think that it's in the best interest of the child if he stays with Mr. Possible Pop until the test result is back from the lab…. "

"Mr. Possible Pop, eh! What happened to 'he can't possibly be mine'?"

"I still don't think he's mine, but apparently my opinion on the matter isn't worth much around here. Apparently there is something about his facial structure that resembles mine. I don't see it... but hey, maybe I have a long lost second cousin I never knew about."

"Oh Edward…" There was a bit of a pause on Alice's end for a moment. "Family or not, I bet he is cute though, right?"

"Sure, he's pretty cute, I guess. Right now he's running around with a diaper on his head as a helmet, a sweater tied around his neck as a cape, and arms extended as wings."

"Aww!"

"Yeah, but you wanna know what's not so cute? Apparently the kid is not potty trained yet. So I can't be sure whether the 'helmet' is soiled or not..."

"Uh oh... A disaster waiting to happen..."

"It already has, twice... I'm counting on you to get here before he runs out of diapers. I wouldn't have the first clue on what stuff to buy. He's going to be needing other things too; he only has one set of clean clothes."

"What size is he?"

"He looks to be about the same height as Elliott… only thinner…"

"Alright, I'll see what I can find. Is there anything else you need?"

"Hang on. He's being awfully quiet out there."

"Out where?"

"The balcony." Edward mumbled as he moved closer to the window.

"Edward! You can't leave him alone on the balcony!"

"It's kid safe, don't worry. It's enclosed with glass windows and there's nothing for him to climb on," Edward explained as he poked his head out on the balcony and checked on the kid.

"You okay?"

"Is cold."

"Yeah it's getting cold. Come on in here buddy." Edward held the door open for Anthony as the toddler trotted into the room. He turned his attention back to his sister, "Hey Alice, I've gotta get going. The kid needs my attention."

"I want a full rundown later."

"You got it. We have a lot to discuss when you get here in the morning. I'll make sure there's a car waiting for you at the airport."

"Okay, I'll talk to you later."

.

..xXOXx.

.

After a long and eventful day the boy fell asleep on the sofa with a handful of McDonald's French fries in his fist. Edward couldn't help but feel relieved that the child had dozed off on his own without a peep. He wasn't quite ready to tackle the bedtime stories and the lullabies just yet.

It wasn't like he hadn't been around kids before. He had done his faire share of babysitting. He had a nephew, Elliott, whom he hung out with quite often. He liked kids… he adored kids… he wouldn't mind having one or two of his own one day…

Yet the more he thought about it, the more ill-prepared he felt… It simply didn't feel right. He didn't FEEL anything for this child…. No protective instincts, no ties, no pride… No nothing…. and that scared him more than anything had ever done before. This wasn't the way it was suppose to go down. Then again he should have known, nothing ever goes as planned.

"Come on kiddo, it's time for bed." With quiet strength, Edward slid his arms under and around the slender, small form and lifted the sleeping boy without disturbing him.

.

..xXOXx.

.

Edward got an EARLY start the next morning. Note the emphasis on the word "early".

Maybe the best way to put it would be to say that he didn't wake up on his own accord.

Something woke him up. He wasn't sure what at first. Groggy and disoriented he sat up straight, trying to figure out if he'd been dreaming or not. Then he heard it again, the sounds of fitful cries echoing through the hotel room and that's when he remembered there was a child in the other bed.

Edward fumbled for the light switch and got to his feet. Anthony was sitting in the opposite bed, wide-eyed and trembling like a Chihuahua.

"Hey, what's the matter, kiddo? What's with the tears?" Edward asked and stifled a yawn. "Did you have a bad dream?"

The small boy answered by letting out another wail that didn't die down for a good four minutes. That's how long it took Edward to figure out the real reason for the tears… a soaking wet diaper….

"Dang, you're all wet. Okay… okay… Don't worry we'll fix this!"

He moved the little boy to the dry side of his bed and went to the bathroom to get the stuff he needed; diapers, wipes and all that jazz. When he came back into the bedroom the child had managed to wriggle himself out of his diaper and was just about to toss it over the edge of the bed.

"Lovely," Edward mumbled as he crossed the room in three swift strides.

"Let me take that nasty thing for you, okay!" he wrinkled his nose and turned his head as the urine scent filled his nostrils. "Ehh, let's put it in the trash can, okay… "

"T-t-tow out," Anthony hiccuped in-between sobs.

"Right on kiddo, let's throw it out. How about we put this smelly thing away for now and I'll take care of it later?" Edward suggested and opened the nearest window and placed the trash can on the balcony outside the room.

The little boy looked at him like he was crazy.

"Ooookay, so I take it that's not how mommy does it…. " Edward grumbled under his breath and stifled another yawn.

"Mommy?" Anthony asked in a small voice.

"Aww man, I put my foot in my mouth with this one, didn't I? Look, mommy isn't here right now so you will have to make do with uncle Edward."

The little boy's chin was trembling again, but the tears seemed to be staying in, this time. Not taking any chances Edward decided to get the whole 'diaper change thing' out of the way as quickly as possible.

Armed with a wet towel and some wipes he cleaned the child from head to toe. Anthony was patient with him, even when Edward accidentally stuck the diaper tape to the bare skin of his hip.

"There you go, good as new." Edward reached for Anthony's hands and pulled him to a standing position. I don't know about you, but I for one wouldn't mind getting a few more hours of sleep."

"I seep, no bed," Anthony grimaced and cocked his head to the side.

"You don't want to go back to sleep?"

"I say, I seep," the child repeated with a sigh, then he pointed down on his feet. "No bed…Is wet."

"Oh, you have no place to sleep because your bed is wet." Edward couldn't help but smile at the 'duh' look on the child's face.

"Alright kiddo, my bed it is then… but no more accidents, okay?"

"Ootay"

There was no car waiting for Alice when she exited the arrival hall at the airport. At first she didn't think much of it. Edward wasn't exactly known for his organizing skills, but after almost an hour of waiting she was ready to strangle him… when and if he showed up...

She was in the middle of recording her umpteenth voice mail message when she saw him, not Edward, but a man in a pin stripped uniform, holding a big cardboard sign that read 'Alice Cullen'.

Grabbing her carryon, her handbag and her ever-present laptop she crossed the exit hall and approached the stranger with the cardboard sign.

"Sorry I kept you waiting," she stated as she extended her hand. "I'm Alice. I believe you're here to give me a ride to my hotel."

"Oh. Hi, Ms Cullen, yes, your brother sent me. I have a car waiting outside."

The suit was expensive and well tailored Alice noted as the man shook her hand. "Something tells me you are not an ordinary cab driver."

"No, that's right I'm Officer George Franklin from the Seattle police department. I'll give you a ride wherever you want to go but the main reason I'm here is because I need to ask you a few questions."

"Ooookay, and Edward knows about this?"

"Edward okayed it."

.

..xXOXx.

.

Alice was a tad bit upset when she barged into Edward's hotel room an hour later… but just a tad …

"Geez, thanks for the warning. Some brother you are," she exclaimed as she blew into the room and dropped her bags on the floor with a loud thump.

Edward, still in his robe and slippers, looked up from his breakfast and smiled at her.

"You met Officer Franklin, I take it."

"That man is like a pitbull terrier - nothing but teeth and arse," she said and let loose a string of curses that Edward would have found amusing had he not been so preoccupied with the kid.

"Hey, watch your language; we have young ears in the room."

"Young ears?" Alice asked, momentarily confused before she realized what Edward was getting at. "Oooh… You mean he's here? …. Anthony?…..In the room?"

"Nah, I locked him up in the closet… Of course he's here. We are having breakfast… or were until you showed up and ruined it. Now the poor kid is hiding under the table."

"Aww, I didn't mean to scare him…"

Her expression softened a bit as her eyes landed on the diaper clad little boy sitting on the floor with a crumbled piece of bread in his hand .

"He's adorable," she smiled at Edward as she knelt beside Anthony. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you sweetie."

Anthony just looked at her and said, "Hi!"

"Well hi yourself," she laughed and looked up at Edward, "Don't tell me you feed the kid Mickey D's for breakfast!"

"Hey Anthony, why don't you tell Alice what your favorite food is," Edward instructed as he reached under the table and pulled the little boy back up in his chair again.

"Burger…. and frieeeeees" The child giggled and took another bite of the saggy hamburger bun in his hand.

"He doesn't eat ANYTHING that doesn't come with fries…"

.

..xXOXx.

.

"Aww man, I think these pants are a bit too big for you."

"Biiig," Anthony giggled bouncing from one foot to the other. The little boy was wriggling worse than a fish on a hook. Tying the drawstring on his sweatpants was turning into a real project.

"Stand still and I'll fix them for you."

"And how are we doing in here?," Alice asked, peaking her head inside the bathroom.

"Miserable." Edward threw up his hands in defeat. "It would be a lot easier if the clothes actually fit him."

"Ha, excuses, excuses…. You're suppose to dress him not wrestle him," she teased as she gave Edward a helping hand with the drawstring. "But you're right. He's a lot skinnier than I thought he'd be. Then again Elliott is big for his age…"

"Elliott is a walking Michelin man compared to this," Edward said and took a one of Anthony's tiny little feet in his hand.

"Hey! Are you calling our nephew fat?"

"No, nooo… but I'm not calling him thin either. He's chubby and that's just the way it should be in my opinion," he explained with a meaning glance at the toothpick thin leg attached to the foot he was trying to fit a shoe on.

"True… I guess a hamburger or two actually won't hurt in this case."

The little boy jerked his foot from Edward's hands. "Hava burger?," he asked and clapped his hands together enthusiastically

"Not now, silly, we just had breakfast."

"Lato?"

"Maybe later." Edward nodded and reached for Anthony's ankle again "Now give me your foot back."

"Uh uh, you tickle," Anthony squealed and kicked his feet so that Edward couldn't reach him. "I don wan shoes!," he stomped a foot and stuck out his lower lip.

"Sorry, buddy. Let's give it another try. We can't go out on the balcony and play if you don't put your shoes on."

"Nooo, I say no," the little boy whined, pushing the shoes away.

Exasperated, Edward rolled his eyes. "Lesson number 153, reasoning with a two year old is like banging your head against a brick wall."

"Let me do this," Alice offered.

"By all means." Edward got up and handed her the shoes.

Alice gave him an amused look and shook her head. "Lesson number 154, socks before shoes. You should know this Edward, you dress yourself every day. The boy is ticklish, socks will help." She informed her brother as she retrieved a tiny pair of socks from the pile of clothes on the floor and kneeled down to finish the job Edward had started.

"Speaking of knowing better, have you called her yet, Edward?" she asked, as she grabbed Anthony's foot and slipped on a sock.

"What? Called who?"

"Don't pretend you don't know who I'm talking about. You set your new buddy Franklin on her. Are you telling me you did that without even warning her first?"

"If you mean Special Agent Swan, then no, I haven't spoken with her. She's a big girl, she can handle Franklin."

Alice mumbled something unintelligible under her breath and then turned her attention back to Anthony. Once the shoes were in place she put a gentle martial arts-type move on the child to get him to stay still long enough for her to tie the shoe laces.

"I'm serious Edward. I know you didn't part ways on the best of terms, but I thought for sure the two of you would have worked everything out by now."

"It's not like I haven't tried. I've left her plenty of messages, but she never once called me back."

"Is that all, a few messages? She saved your sorry ass, you know."

"I know and like I said, it's not like I haven't tried. I even went as far as sending her roses, thinking that would do the trick, but she still wouldn't take my calls. She had her mother do her dirty work. You remember her mother right, Renee Dwyer, married to some Californian up and coming politician. Mrs. Dwyer threatened to get a restraining order against me if I didn't leave Bella alone."

"Ouch! "

"Yeah, ouch. If Bella decides she wants to talk, she knows where to find me. "

Just then Anthony lost his patience with the two grown ups. "Gony baw!" he shrieked jumping to his feet.

"My, my, I think the boy just told you to grow some balls Edward," Alice suggested with a smirk.

"He said no such thing. I may not be hip with the kid lingo, but I do know what 'gony' means. He want's to play ball on the 'balcony'."

"Really? My bad. Oh well, if the boy knew what I know he would tell you to grow some balls. Edward"

"Right and if the boy knew what I know he would tell you to stay out of it."


	8. Chapter 7 Waffles and the Art of Schemin

_An: This chapter took forever to write. It's the last one before Bella and Edward will meet up face to face.  
._

**Chapter 7 – Waffles and the Art of Scheming**

**.  
**

_**Dear Diary,**_

"all good things must come to an end" as the saying goes. My summer in New York got a rather abrupt ending. Apparently I had a bit of a meltdown. Apparently it involved me purposely putting my hand through a glass window… or so they say… I really don't remember any of it. All I know is that I had a couple of really bad panic attacks, which in itself is nothing new, I have been dealing with those since I was about six years old. I still maintain that, whatever else happened, it was just normal adolescent behaviourtriggered by too little sleep and too many intoxicating substances.

The next thing I remember is waking up in an ER having my stomach pumped. There was talk about putting me on a suicide watch, but in the end they just sent me home to mommy dearest. And that's when the real meltdown happened if you ask me. Turns out home wasn't home anymore; turns out my mom had gotten herself engaged while I was gone and as a result of that she expected me to pack up all my stuff and move halfway across the country with her. Turns out my new step dad-to-be was the reverend of a Baptist Congregation in effing Seattle."

Anyone with any intelligence knows that moving during your senior year is not advisable. To be honest that whole year is pretty much a blur to me. Sending a teenager out into the public doped up on mind-altering drugs is a certain recipe for disaster. Talk about major meltdown drama!

This was also the year my brother vanished from the face of Earth. From what I have gathered he got in trouble with the law or something… There was a trial and everything. I've been told I was called to give testimony, but I don't remember any of it. All I know is that he quickly became a taboo subject in our home.

So yeah, that was a rough time for me. The only highlight I can think of was the computer my new step dad bough me for our first Christmas 'together'; a bribe to get me to stick with therapy. Once I got the hang of the technical stuff, I spent hours and hours online, browsing web sites, joining mailing lists and chat rooms.

It was through the internet I first heard of 'Forever Dawn', the NY nightclub where my Eddie showcased his music on a semi regular basis. Needless to say I watched every youtube video I could get my hands on. Sometimes he preformed alone and sometime he had his guitar playing friend Jasper Hale on stage with him. Edward was the real star of course, but they made quite a good team together, they had their own little fan club and everything.

Most of the fan girls I spoke with online didn't get that Edward and I were soul mates. I got tons of hate mails, but I also got a real life friend out of it. Her name is Maria and we became instant buddies when we realized we both lived in the Seattle area. She was a freshman at University of Washington at that point and was new in town just like me. She was soooo cool, she had a soft spot for Jaz (the guitar player) and we immediately began making plans visiting New York over the summer. Oh, good times. That road trip definitely deserves an entry of its own.

_Love always,_

_Angela Cullen_

_.  
_

...  
.

_**The first phone call…**_

… from Officer George Franklin, of the Seattle police department, came just as special agent Bella Swan had begun to tidy up her desk after yet another tiresome day (of doing everyone else's paperwork) at the office.

The man was very sparse with details over the phone, but Bella got the gist of it. Officer Franklin wanted to know if she would be interested in discussing the Cullen stalker case with him in person and if she was familiar with the early work of a certain photographer going by the name of Jamie T Wilson. Apparently a new photo had resurfaced, in Seattle of all places, and apparently Edward Cullen himself had advised the police to speak with her directly. It was the first sign of life she had received from Edward in months.

Bella spent the rest of the evening contemplating how to word her request in order to get her boss, FBI Chief Inspector Jenks, to sanction her trip Seattle. All her fretting turned out to be unnecessary, though, because any information regarding the notorious Jamie T Wilson, or his alter ego James Turner, was hot commodity around the bureau.

The man was wanted for numerous violent offenses, including assault, battery and firearms violations. He was also notorious for producing pornographic materials and had a previous sexual-assault conviction which was why Bella had taken to calling him Mr-pervy-porn-photagrapher' or Triple P for short. Even in hiding this man, this perverse creep, still managed to stir up quite the controversy with his alleged involvement in the murder of the nephew of, a now-retired, but still very influential and well-connected, Supreme Court judge. Needless to say, whoever brought this man to justice would be greatly rewarded.

FBI Chief Inspector Jason Jenks was an observant man, observant enough to know that agent Swan was still hung up on the Cullen case; a stalker case that had been officially closed for little over three weeks. Jenks had done his research; he knew there was an old personal connection between his agent and the Cullen family. It didn't matter that the threat had been completely eliminated or that the case had nearly cost agent Swan her job, she still would not rest until all de loose ends had been tied up. It was booth foolish and admirable all at the same time.

Jenks was an intelligent man, intelligent enough to know a motivated agent was a more successful agent. Upon hearing agent Swans request to follow a lead that seemed to be connected not only to the Cullen case, but more importantly to the murder of Judge Harrington's nephew, he decided on the spot that he would give her some maneuvering space.

Jenks had, of course, suggested that Swan ought to bring fellow agent Eric Yorkie with her on her little excursion. A bullet Bella dodged by promising to wait until Clearwater was back from his trip to New Mexico. A promise she intended to keep. She would wait for Seth, but only because he was the only one she trusted to watch her apartment and water her plants while she was out of town. This was a solo mission…. Hopefully, Seth would cover for her… he almost always did…

_.  
_

...  
.

_**The second phone call…**_

_**.  
**_

…the one from Alice Cullen, came around midday the following day. Her reason for calling was similar to Officer Franklin's, only this second retelling of the events that had gone down on Seattle was vastly different from the first one. Never on to hold her tongue, Alice spared no details in describing her brother's current dilemma. And what a dilemma it was!

A paternity claim; how very… well, absurd and preposterous, for lack of better words, unless it was true of course. Unless the child was actually Edward's. Alice certainly seemed to take the claim seriously. The whole thing wasfar fetched, but not entirely out of the realm of possibility.

It wasdifficult to remain objective…hard to be unfeeling. There was something unsettling about the whole situation.

And then was that other tidbit of information that Alice had let slip in passing. Renee's name was mentioned and as always, when Bella's mother was involved, there was drama.

.

...  
.

_**The third phone call…**_

.

…had been long coming…

"Isabella," Renee greeted her daughter with a tone of voice that bordered surprise and irritation. "I did not expect to hear from you this early in the morning. Phil is resting. We only just got in from the airport a few hours ago."

"I didn't call to speak with Phil…" Bella interjected."…and a quarter to nine is not that early. I called because I thought we could go out for breakfast together, just the two of us. "

"You know I don't do breakfast," Renee was quick to point out.

Bella closed her eyes_, _reminding herself to remain patient. "Okay, let's make it coffee then. You still drink coffee don't you?"

There was a pause of crackling static over the phone line. "I'm here for three whole days; surely there is plenty of time to make proper dinner plans."

"What if I told you that I'm not free for dinner any night this week?" Bella stated, an edge of defiance creeping into her tone. "What if I told you that it's breakfast or nothing at all?"

"Are you giving me an ultimatum, Isabella?"

"I guess I am," she said with sudden clarity. "If you want to see me at all while you're in town, I suggest you meet me in the lobby half an hour from now."

There was a snort from the other end of the line.

"Half an hour," she repeated and then hung up the phone before her mother could say another word.

.

...

.

_**Breakfast with Renee…**_

… turned into brunch when her mother made a point out of taking her sweet time to get ready. Because God forbid actually going a day without having your hair straightened. And then there were clothes to be steam pressed and nails to be manicured.

Bella got her revenge by picking an all-you-can-eat Waffle bar for their destination. Her mother was (as expected) not too impressed with her choice, but agreed to sit down for some decaf coffee and a super small, barely there, taste portion of the Eco-Farmed, Whole Grain, gluten free waffles.

In an act of rebellious defiance Bella went ahead and sampled every treat available from the buffet spread, but as she settled down at the table with her mother, eating was not at the forefront of her mind.

Renee was not going to like the exchange of words they were about to have. She trusted her mother not to make a scene in public, but she had a feeling that things would turn unpleasant real fast once this particular can of worms was opened... and she knew it would have to be opened… there was just no way around it. There was a line that needed to be drawn, something Bella realised she should have done a long time ago, but hadn't because things had been rolling along so nicely it just didn't seem worth the bother.

Not too surprisingly it was Renee who took charge of the conversation. "So, Isabella, you got news for me?" she asked - or rather, stated, while sipping on her non caffeine, non sweetened coffee. "…bad news, I take it, because the last time you took me out for breakfast was the morning you told me that you were planning on marrying that no-good biker boyfriend of yours."

"That wasn't necessarily bad news…" Bella interjected. "Marrying Jake was a good decision at the time."

"Right, because the whole marriage thing worked out so well for you," Renee responded, ripping the heart shaped waffle on her plate into pieces. "Let's try this again…. Do you have something you want to tell me? It must be important for you to go through all this trouble."

"Alright," Bella conceded after a lengthy stare down with her mother. "There is something we need to discuss. Important? Yes. Bad news? No. I wouldn't call it 'news' when it concerns an old issue that has yet to be ironed out properly."

"An old issue? Now you got me intrigued."

"You should be, this is right up your alley."

"It sounds to me like you want to ask my opinion on something. Why, Isabella I'm flattered, I didn't think my opinion was something you valued."

"Do you want to hear this or not?" Bella replied, pushing her plate away untouched. The mere thought of food made her stomach turn in disapproval..

"Go ahead, I'm listening."

"I got a phone call the other day, from an old friend of mine. A really old friend, from Forks."

"It's nice that you keep in touch with your old friends, dear." Renee said brushing some invisible lint of her clean, white shirt.

Bella sighed. "Her name is Mary Alice Brandon."

Renee looked up, but her face was blank and impassive as she spoke. "You say that like I should know who she is."

"I know you know who she is. You were photographed with her mother just the other week, some event for The Children's Aid Society, I believe."

"And who would that be?""

"Esme Cullen."

"Right, the Cullens, of course," Renee nodded, seemingly unfazed. "They do a lot of charity and so do I. Is that what you want to talk about? My charity work?"

"No, I want to talk to you about Edward Cullen. I know you recognize that name and I know you remember the first time you heard it."

"He is that juvenile delinquent you went to high school with, isn't he?" Renee asked with a raised brow. "The one that was stupid enough to let himself get caught messing around with the police chiefs daughter, who was still a minor at the time, mind you…"

"A few traffic offences hardly makes someone a juvenile delinquent," Bella blew out a frustrated breath. "We both know Charlie jumped the guns on that one."

"I still maintain that the Cullen boy was not nearly good enough for you, Isabella." Her mother twisted her face into a disapproving frown. "That is quite possibly the only thing Charles and I have ever agreed on."

"I was only a few weeks shy of turning eighteen and quite frankly both old enough and mature enough to make my own decisions on who to hang out with and what situations to get myself involved in."

"I disagree, of course, but you already know that much."

"I always figured the Cullen wealth and stellar reputation would sway you over given some time."

"Ah, but the Cullens are only his adoptive family. They boy was born in a trailer park for God's sake. You can do so much better than that, which I believe I told you ten years ago."

"You never even met the guy." Bella shook her head in a 'you're-hopeless' sort of way.

"What does that has to do with anything? I was right to warn you about him, wasn't I? He broke your heart multiple times, if my memory serves me right."

"You just couldn't stay out of it, could you? I mean, threatening him? Was that really necessary?"

"You know as well as I do, that it was your father handling all th-.. "

"I'm not talking about ten years ago." Bella's voice rose an octave. "I'm talking about the restraining order you threatened him with over the phone just a few weeks ago!"

"Oh, so that's what your friend was calling you about?" Renee concluded nonchalantly.

"You're not denying it then?"

"You know me, I bark worse than I bite."

"What you did is wrong on so many levels. Firstly, what could possibly have made you think that I would be okay with you answering MY calls, on MY cell phone? Secondly how did you even get access to it? I realize it must have been around the time I flew in for Phil's fundraiser, but how and why? What did you possibly gain from that?"

"You were a mess. You showed up at our doorstep looking like a wasted shell of your former self. You slept for nearly eighteen hours straight. I'm your mother, I know when something is not right."

"That still doesn't give you the right to steal my phone while I'm sleeping."

"I didn't steal it. I merely switched your SIM card to ensure a stress free weekend without any unnecessary interruptions. You obviously needed time away from whatever it was that was eating you."

"Unnecessary interruptions? Most calls I get on that phone are important, work related calls. Edward Cullen is very much involved in a case I'm working on… or was working on."

Renee's eyebrows shot to the top of her forehead in a matter of milliseconds.

"The case I'm not suppose to know anything about? Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that particular case closed, finished, finito. Besides you were off duty that weekend, so it wasn't like you missed anything too important, anyway."

"I just love the way you rationalize things."

"If you must know, he only called about a handful of times; never once introducing himself properly, never once stating his reasons for calling. He was rude. arrogant and quite frankly not worth the fuss you're making."

Bella felt her temper flare, but held her tongue. She had gotten the answers she came for. In a moment of insight she rose from her chair and grabbed her jacket and her purse "This discussion is pointless. I don't see how you can pass judgement on something or someone you know nothing about. I wish you would stop sticking your nose where it doesn't belong."

"And I wish you would start taking my advice seriously, Isabella. I truly have your best interest at heart. We are family, and merely trying to make sure that you accomplish the goals that I know you are capable of accomplishing."

"That's a load of crap if I ever heard one."

"Maybe, but it's also the truth. Now, sit down and finish your tea, dear."

"I think I'll pass. All this mother-daughter bonding is giving me a headache… but then again it almost always does. I don't know why I expected it to be different this time."

With one last look at Renee, she turned away. Even though her insides were roiling, she kept her calm and walked away with her head held high.

.

* * *

**AN:  
**_**A short introduction to Renee **__**Dwyer – the mastermind with a master plan**_

Bella, who had absolutely no recollection of her parents marriage, what so ever, had been fifteen the year her mother first introduced her to the man that would eventually become her new step dad. As it turned out, her mother's new love interest was none other than the highly popular and much sought-after Phil Dwyer, a retired major league baseball player, whom her mother had fallen head over heels for after having backed into his car at the Whole Foods parking lot.

Luckily the infatuation was mutual. Phil Dwyer was more than a little smitten with the slightly older, but utterly charming (read quirky) Renee Higenbotham and he was surprisingly open to the idea of taking on a teenage stepdaughter. You see Phil was in the midst of launching a political career and accessories like a wife, a kid and a readymade family would undoubtedly look good to have by his side when campaigning for higher office.

Renee had, prior to that point, always been the happy-go-lucky type; childlike in her mannerisms, with the emotional age of a teenager. Although there are no official job requirements for being the wife of a successful politician, it's fair to say that those qualities didn't do her any favors in her strive to master the role as Phil Dwyer's wife.

A certain amount of attention and scrutiny was unavoidable, especially after the local press got their hands on some rather compromising nudie video footage of Renee and Phil getting it on in a semi public, hotel swimming pool. Contrary to popular belief, all publicity is not good publicity…

As you can imagine, the embarrassment of having your mothers tities plastered on the front page of every newspaper in town, was excruciating. So much so, that Bella voluntarily agreed to go stay with her estranged father until the storm had blown over, or until she could secure her high school diploma…

While Bella settled into the small town life of Forks, Renee began a transformation towards becoming a responsible adult and a contributing member of society; a makeover overseen by the best image consultant and media coach money could buy, courtesy of Phil Dwyer. Of course Renee being Renee, she took it too the extreme. By the time Bella was reunited with her mother, Renee had turned into a very polished, very cynical socialite with some serious control issues and an unhealthy obsession with public image and media manipulation.


	9. Chapter 8 A walking, talking stink bomb

**Chapter 8 - A walking, talking stink bomb  
**

.

"Alice Cullen, please."

The hotel receptionist typed the name into her computer. She shook her head.

"I'm sorry, I can't find her."

"Oh, my mistake. It's Brandon... Mary Alice Brandon. Can you please call her and let her know Isabella Swan is here to see her."

"My apologies," the receptionist said, shaking her head, "I can't call a person who isn't staying here."

Bella nodded, and looked around the hotel lobby uncomfortably. The reception area looked empty. She reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out her FBI badge.

"Look, I know she's here, I just don't know what name she's registered under. She is short, petit, dark hair, pixie looking... I believe she arrived two says ago."

The receptionist raised her eyebrows and made an 'oh' with her mouth in understanding. She checked her list again, and what do you know, it turned out there was a match after all.

.

...oxXxo.

.

The sound of someone knocking on the door startled little Anthony. "Uh uh… Door go knock knock…" he squealed and clutched at Alice's arm with surprising force.

"Oooh, you're right…. I think we have a visitor," Alice replied, grabbing a firmer hold on the squirming child in her lap.

"Who?" the child asked as a big chunk of half-melted ice cream slipped off his spoon and onto his t-shirt. "Isa scary monster? "

"No, no scary monster," Alice chuckled softly and ran his hand over Anthony's head to smooth down his unruly hair. "It could be the cookie monster, though. You wanna help me get the door? "

Just then there was another knock, sharper this time and more insistent.

"Ah…coming…just, hold on!" Alice jumped off the couch and quickly hoisted, a now very ice cream sticky, Anthony onto her hip.

The noise was enough to prompt a weary-looking Edward to stick his head into the room.

"Are you expecting someone?" he asked with a frown.

"Isa monster ana cookie," the child piped up, in a matter of fact way.

"Yes, what he said," Alice agreed with a casual shrug.

"The cookie monster, really?" Edward surveyed his sister with narrowed eyes, as the knocking keptgetting louder and louder. "What have you done? Who did you call? I fall asleep for ten minutes and now someone's pounding on my front door like I owe them money or something… "

Alice rolled her eyes. "Well, don't just stand there; get the door before they tear it down!"

"They?" Edward squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I swear Alice, if you told a living soul about my little predicament, I'll,… I'll…"

"You'll what? Kill me? Just get the door Edward. Facing the monsters is always the best way of defeating them."

.

...oxXxo.

.

It wasn't the cookie monster at the door, nor was it a hotel maid, or a room service delivery, but then again none of those had been Edward's top guesses. When Alice had used plural in reference to the knocking, his first though had been Carlisle and Esme, but thankfully the person waiting behind the door held no resemblance to either one of his adoptive parents.

"Isabella Marie Swan," he said the name out loud, as if to confirm that his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. She hadn't changed, at least, not outwardly, and his heart surprised him by skipping excitedly at the sight of her.

She was early; he hadn't expected her to show up for another couple of days. Actually, he hadn't been sure she would show up at all. The only thing he had been sure of was that Alice would disregard his wishes about not contacting her. Telling Alice to mind her own business waslike telling the sun not to rise.

Shaking his head from his reverie, Edward stepped away from the door to allow her to enter. " Or is it Special Agent Swan today? I get the feeling this is not a social visit."

He held out his hand to take her coat and she promptly flung it in his face, on purpose no doubt

"How about you call me Bella for now and we save the formal stuff for later" she suggested, with a slight frown. "Nice to know you still got your manners, though."

Edward felt his face break into a smile and he laughed a little in spite of himself. "I never did see what was so SPECIAL about you anyway,"

"Bah, you're just jealous because I get to carry a gun and you don't," she replied returning the banter.

"I always hated that gun of yours and you know it."

"True…. You always seemed more fascinated with my handcuffs..."

"Heh…"

He never got a chance to respond because his sister chose that precise moment to emerge from the bathroom with a freshly cleaned Anthony in tow.

"Bella!" Alice exclaimed, practically skipping across the room to greet her friend. "I thought I heard your voice!"

"Yeah, well, rumor has it that you've ditched Jasper for a younger man. I just had to come see for myself."

Alice let out a tinkling laugh. "Poor Jasper, but it couldn't be helped," she mused, taking a hold of Anthony under his arms and lifting him off the floor. "This young fellow is just too darn cute to resist!"

Holding the child out in front of her, she showed him off like he was a new doll she'd found under the Christmas tree on Christmas morning.

Of course Anthony, being an actual living, breathing toddler and not a life sized doll, took the opportunity to jiggle around for a bit and then, with a scrunched up face, relieve himself of some gas.

Alice's facial expression was priceless, or would have been priceless if Edward had taken the time register it. Instead his eyes were fixed attentively on Bella, who in turn was staring unblinkingly at the child. Being the trained professional that she was, her face gave away nothing of her thoughts…. Or, well… that was before the stink bomb was dropped, because she certainly didn't hold back on her reaction as she caught whiff of the offending odour.

"Mother-of-all-stinky-farts, What the hell have you been feeding him?" she exclaimed loudly, frenetically fanning her nose with her hands. "He's like a mini-clone. He even got the smell down pat! Screw the DNA test. Congratulation Alice, You're an auntie!"

"I know!" Alice was quick to agree, setting the now squirming boy down on the floor again. "The resemblance is eerie, isn't it? The hair, the eyebrows, the pout…."

"You both need your eyes checked," Edward protested, edging towards the nearest window."…and your noses. Nothing coming from me has ever smelled this badly."

"Whatever you say, Edward," the girls both replied in unison, breaking into a fit of sniggers and snorts.

.

...oxXxo.

.

The feeling of déjà vu was growing stronger by the minute.

A puzzling letter, an upsetting photograph, a call from an concerned sister and a meeting with a very grumpy Edward Cullen… Check, check, check and double check...

It seamed as though history was repeating itself, only this time there was an innocent two-year-old boy stuck in the midst of the turmoil.

Seeing Edward again had been painful, no surprise there, but seeing Edward interacting with the child, had been even more painful; a reality check that that tore at her already wounded heart. Emotional attachment was indeed the cause of all suffering, you didn't have to be a Buddhist or a Taoist to benefit from that understanding. But Bella had made a promise that she would see this through. And being a woman of her word, she would have to find a way to do just that.

She couldn't falter now. Faltering was not an option. She would see this through, and somehow they would all come out on the other side, better than before, stronger than before, wiser than before.

And happier. She had to believe that, especially now when she was feeling bleaker than ever.

Putting on her best game face she examined the piece of paper in her hand. It was a copy of the letter that had been found with the child. She had, of course, read it multiple times already, courtesy of her contact at the Seattle police department.

"I doubt it's a blackmailing scam," she said, with a reassuring smile in Alice's direction. "No threats or demands have been made and there is nothing vindictive about the way the letter is worded."

"The last thing we need right now is another lunatic on our hands," Alice sighed with a meaningful glance in the direction of balcony where Anthony and Edward was working up a sweat by kicking a big, rainbow colored beach ball back and forth. "I used to think I was good at judging people, but now… now I find myself second guessing my intuition all the time."

"Alice, it wasn't your fault. We've been over this before. She came with good references; she was polite and well mannered. You thought you had found the perfect babysitter for your nephew. She had us all fooled, but all that is in the past now. The stalker issue has been resolved. Angela is dead and buried. It's time to move on…"

"I know, I know… I'd hate to see history repeat itself, that's all. I mean, what about the photo? I thought you said FBI had confiscated all those nasty photographs."

"The ones they could get their hands on. Compromising photographs are like weeds, like dandelion seeds. Once they get wind borne there is not much you can do to stop them from spreading."

"Hah, that was probably the lamest analogy I have ever heard!" Edward shouted from the doorway.

"So in other words, it's just a matter of time before my brothers pale, hairy ass makes a debut to the internet? Is that what you're saying?" Alice concluded giving Edward a gentle shove back towards the balcony.

"Well, hopefully it wont come to that. Look, let's not get ahead of ourselves. No crime has been committed and no threats have been made. My advice for now would be to treat this like an ordinary paternity case. "

"I could have sworn abandoning a child was a crime the last time I checked," Edward protested , once again poking his head through the door.

"You're right, technically it is and that's why the police is on the lookout for the mother. In theory it could lead to both prosecution and conviction…" she trailed off with a shake of her head.

"In theory? What about the reality?"

It was Alice asking the question, but Bella directed her answer to both of the siblings.

"The reality is that we should all focus on making sure the child's physical and emotional needs are provided for."

"Because you don't think we'll ever find the mother?" Edward asked with a frustrated huff.

"Anthony is what's important here. You should never lose focus on that," Bella reasoned. "Speaking of losing focus, if were you Edward, I'd duck right about now!"

"What?"

Edward swirled around just in time to see Anthony make mad dash towards the ball and kick it with all his might towards his soccer buddy.

Before he had time to react the ball had hit him square in the face, hard enough to make his eyes water.

"I kick baw high!" Anthony squealed, clapping his hands in delight.

.

...oxXxo.

.

"I still can't believe little miss FBI agent showed up acting all friendly and shit.," Jasper chuckled over the phone later that evening. " I was expecting a confrontation of some sort…or at least some tension."

"Oh, there was tension, alright," Alice replied as she locked herself into the bathroom with her cell phone wedged between her ear and her shoulder. "They weren't ripping each others heads off or anything, quite the opposite actually. The were being very civil towards one another. Can you imagine that? No arguments, no shouting, no nothing."

"So maybe they have both done some growing up since the last time they saw each other."

"No, that's not it. Edward was still being his immature, bratty self and Bella… Well you know Bella, she's stubborn to a fault and hates being told what to do. She loves picking fights even, or especially, when she probably shouldn't. Only today she was more guarded than I have ever seen her before."

"You got them to talk, though, that's always a start. "

"I thought that if I could only get them alone in the same room together, the rest would sort itself out, you know"

"Right, but if you were there, hanging on every word spoken, they weren't actually alone, now were they? "

"I offered to take Anthony out for a walk, but Bella freaked and said she had to leave because she had a plane to catch. Now, I know she isn't leaving for another..," she paused to push her sleeve up to look at her wrist watch. "…nine hours. So that excuse was a complete utter lie, but I didn't call her out on it. I don't want her to think I'm taking sides."

"Did you at least get a chance to ask her about her opinion on the letter? Did she read it?"

"Yep, she thinks we should hire a private investigator to find this Kebi person."

"Oh really? What about the ongoing police investigation? Wouldn't one investigation be more than enough."

"Maybe… maybe not… Bella reckons officer Franklin will drop the case if, or should I say when, the paternity test confirms that Edward is the father. Apparently the main focus here is to find someone willing to care for the child. Everything else is a waste of time and resources."

"Well, in that case I suppose hiring a P.I. sounds reasonable. To be honest I kind of thought miss Swan would take a personal interest in this, though."

"We can't really ask, or expect that of her. She nearly lost her job the last time around. "

"I guess you're right, "Jasper hummed into the phone. "So, lets talk about something else. How's the little tyke doing? Is he still refusing to eat?"

"No, I've gotten him to eat plenty today. He's just picky about what he likes and don't like. Remember that time when Elliott point blank refused to wear shoes?"

"Sure do…. He ran around barefoot for three whole weeks. "

"Well, it's like that, only with Anthony it's all about food. The kid won't eat anything unless it comes with french-fries or ice-cream on the side."

"Aaah, but that's why they call it the terrible twos. Elliott has almost grown out of it, I'm sure this kid will too."

"Jasper, I feel so bad for him. He's not a bad kid, not at all… It's just the situation that sucks, you know…. "

"Aww, come on baby, you'll help Edward work something out. You're a problem solver. That's what you do best. You're a caring, compassionate person. That's what makes you 'you'."

"And you're the king of pep-talks," Alice returned the compliment. "…and the best fiancée a girl could ever ask for. I miss you something terribly."

"I miss you too, love, but you need to stay where you are or else we'll miss out on all the juicy gossip. "

"You think she'll be back don't you?"

"Who? The mother?"

"No, special agent Swan."

"Of course I do and so do you, otherwise you wouldn't have let her leave that easily. I assume you have plan B up your sleeves."

"You know me so well, of course there is a plan B."

"You know me so well."


	10. Chapter 9and the result is in!

**Chapter 9 - ...and the result is in!**

**.  
**

The restroom was empty, and Edward was thankful for that small mercy.

'Just another business meeting…' he told the reflection in the mirror, in an attempt to psych himself up for what was to come. "…nothing to get nervous about."

'Yeah right! How often do you get called down to the police station for a business meeting?'

He splashed his face with cold water with the hope that his guts would somehow settle without coming up.

No this wasn't business, this was personal. He was supposed to get the test results this afternoon. It had been four days, four looong days worth of soggy diapers, crocodile tears and toddler tantrums. Luckily Alice had been there to help him sort out most of the practical stuff but his nerves were beyond frazzled. He couldn't wait for this whole ordeal to be over….

'So why are you hiding in here then?' his inner voice taunted.

The answer was simple; he was fucking coward!

.

..oOXOo.

.

"Ah, Mr. Cullen, how nice of you to join us. Officer Franklin said, pointedly looking at his watch. I was beginning to think you had bolted."

All the heads at the conference table turned around and looked at the door.

"Sorry. I just needed a breather... So uh, everyone else is here, I take it?"

"We're ready to start this meeting whenever you are," social worker Maggie Thompson said giving him a reassuring smile.

Edward sighed and moved across the room to take the seat that had been saved for him between his sister and his newly acquired lawyer. The office was small and very bare. The only objects in the room were a table and seven chairs.

"Are you okay?," Alice asked quietly as Edward slid into his seat.

"Yeah, I'm fine", he said with a forced smile. "Where is…. uhm… where is the boy?."

"He's in another room. They have a female police officer keeping an eye on him."

"Good, there is no need for him to witness this," Edward grumbled under his breath.

"Mr. Cullen, I assume you know why we've arranged this meeting," officer Franklin's tone was polite but his manner authoritative and slightly impatient.

"You have news for me?"

"Yes, we have received the result of the DNA test. Ms Thompson do you have the paperwork?"

"Certainly, but first I'd like to take the opportunity to once again thank Edward for his co-operation. It's a highly unusual case we have on our hands here. I know your situation is delicate and discretion is of the utmost importance."

The social worker paused long enough to reach into her briefcase and pull out a large manila envelope.

"Standard procedure would have been to place the child in a licensed receiving home in wait for more permanent arrangements. But in this case the child, Anthony, didn't respond well to the other children at the Victoria halfway house, were he spent the first two nights. Taking these factors into consideration I think we found a solution that worked for both parties. Now as for the paternity test…."

"I'm sure you all agree Mr. Cullen should be entitled to some privacy when he reads this. Not waiting for an answer the lawyer, Garrett Berger, snatched the envelope from the social workers hand."

"Of course! We can leave the room if you-…"

"No! I want to get this over and done with once and for all," Edward protested in a voice louder than intended." Go ahead read it aloud, I don't mind."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

"Alright then… " the lawyer tore the envelope open and unfolded the neatly printed letter. He was just about to clear his throat when there was a loud knock on the door.

"I'm sorry for interrupting, but I need to speak to you, sir." A young woman poked her head into the room.

"This better be good, Curtis!" officer Franklin snapped, with an annoyed expression in his face.

"I have a woman out here who's asking for Mr. Cullen."

"Clearly, she'll have to wait; we're in a middle of a meeting here!"

"Well, she claims she's supposed to be a part of this meeting. She says she was invited by Mr. Cullen," the woman explained and pulled the door all the way open to reveal the guest.

"Hi! Sorry for barging in like this," the newcomer said with an apologetic smile.

Edward shoot a questioning glance at Alice who shrugged in return, but didn't look all to surprised.

"You know this woman, Edward?" the lawyer asked.

His instant impulse was to shake his head…but before he could say or do anything Alice jumped right in, declaring "She's my brothers girlfriend, fiancée actually, " earning herself death glares from multiple sets of eyes.

It was such an unnecessary lie. One flash of that FBI badge and no one would have questioned Ms. Swans presence.

Before he had time to set the record straight, the social worker was already inviting Bella to step inside the room. "I wasn't aware you had a fiancée, Edward, let alone girlfriend."

Officer Franklin was equally surprised. "This is news to me too. Ms Swan I don't recall you mentioning this little detail the last time we spoke."

"It's a recent development…." Alice hurried to explain. "Very recent…. but they have known etch other for a long time, since high school really. Isn't that right, Bella? "

Bella blinked a few times before she could decipher the question and formulate an answer. "Oh, right…. We were high school sweethearts. " she nodded with a dead serious face. "And yes, it's so new that it's not even official yet.."

"No kidding," Edward scoffed, and found himself being kicked in the shin underneath the table.

"Was that an objection I heard. Would you rather have Ms Swan wait outside while we do this?" Franklin asked.

"Err… no, its fine, she can take a seat. I'm just surprised to see her, that's all. Last I heard she was heading back home to take care of some prior work related commitments." he said giving her a pointed glare.

"I miraculously found someone to cover for me," Bella shrugged. "It was very last minute. I didn't want to say anything when I didn't know for certain that I would be able to make it here in time."

"Alright then, lets get down to business. Ms Swan, I am, as you know, the police officer handling this case. To your right you have Maggie Thompson, the social worker. And across the table we have your fiancés lawyer. Garrett Berger. Mr. Berger was just about to read us the result of the DNA test."

"Okay, so I'm right on time then," Bella said and leaned over the table to give Edward's arm a reassuring squeeze. "It's nice to meet you all… although naturally I wish it was under other circumstances."

"Amen to that!" Alice nodded with a cautious glance in Edward's direction." So the result…. I think we have waited long enough…"

"Right", the lawyer agreed. "Here we go… according to this letter, from the Geisinger medical center, it has been proven with a 98.6% accuracy that Edward Cullen is the father of the child."

Mouth agape, Edward blinked a few times in confusion, before he managed to croak out a shocked "WHAT?"

"Are you okay Mr. Cullen?" Someone asked, his vision had gone fuzzy so he had no idea who it was.

Was the room spinning? He felt as though he might pass out.

"Breath, Edward… Long deep breath," he heard a familiar voice instruct him through the fog of his anguished confusion.

He sucked in a breath and then released it. Three more breaths and his surroundings started returning into focus.

Every eye in the room was fixed on him; no surprises there. His reaction, had no doubt, been entertaining to watch.

Alice was fluttering around him making worried noises. The social worker was trying to get him to lean forward and put his between his knees, which he refused (obviously), but he accepted the glass of water that was offered to him and drank its contents in big thirsty gulps.

"Are you okay, Mr. Cullen? " This time he recognized the voice as the one of his lawyer.

"I just…. I didn't… Yes, I'm okay," he responded sitting up straighter.

He felt a squeeze of his hand and looked down to see Bella's fingers entwined with his own. She said nothing, but her silence was oddly comforting.

"I'm the father," he said it like a question rather than a statement.

"Yes, there are enough similarities in your DNA to determine that you are in fact the father. All federal and state courts require a minimum of 94% accuracy."

"What happens now?"

"Well, it depends on you, Mr. Cullen. Now that the paternity has been confirmed you can go ahead and file for temporary custody of the child, if that's what you want."

"What would happen to the boy… if I don't… if I can't take him in?"

"Anthony would be placed in a foster home temporarily, while the police continue to search for his mother or another family member that is willing to care for him. If the search falls through, adoption would be the next logical step."

Bella raised her hand in a request to speak. "What's the time limit? How long will you keep searching for the mother?"

"With Mr. Cullen being the child's biological father, the investigation into Anthony's parentage is all but over," Officer Franklin shrugged. "Our goal was to locate a biological parent or family member to care for the child."

"So because I'm the biological father, the investigation will be closed without further action. No charge, no procession…"

"It's difficult to prosecute a nameless faceless woman." Officer Franklin stated, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. "We are still looking, but we don't have much to work with. We know for a fact that the mother took a bus to the church where the child was abandoned. We know this because we have located the bus driver that dropped her off. According to his witness statement the woman wore an oversized, dark, gray hoodie and big, dark sun glasses. The bus driver vaguely remembers a tattoo of some sort. Possibly on her neck… possibly a butterfly… but that's it…. That's all we got at the moment. If no new information comes to light, I don't see this investigation stretching longer than four weeks tops."

"But if we file a missing persons report, you'd have to keep looking for her? Isn't that right?" Bella questioned.

"Yes, that's one way to keep the search going, You'd need to know her full name to file one of those, though. Another way would be to hire a private investigator. I'm sure your lawyer can help you figure out what is the right course to take."

"I don't want to drag this out any longer than necessary," Edward stated with a dejected sigh. "I just want to go home. How long will you be needing my presence ? How does this work? Can I just take the child and leave?"

"There is a certain protocol we need to follow. So, the answer is no, you can't just take the child and leave," Maggie Thompson spoke up, her voice calm and reassuring, as always. "Anthony needs to stay until all the paperwork is completed and a judge signs the final custody order. We wi-…"

"Stay where? In the city or the state? Because we have family close by… " Alice interjected.

"The state, but I'd advice you to stay in Seattle for another two weeks."

"Two weeks! How long is this going to take?" Edward heard himself exclaim. Somehow, the entire conversation was beginning to feel like an out-of-body experience for him, like he sitting on the sidelines watching it rather than living it.

"Normally, I'd say, somewhere between ten to fifteen business days, but with the holiday coming up… You might need to make alternative Christmas plans."

Edward groaned, resisting the urge to bang his head against the table. Instead, he leaned back and closed his eyes, waiting for his agitation to calm.

Alice took the opportunity to ask a few more questions. "The child can stay with us in the meanwhile, right? Can we leave the hotel? Can we take him shopping? He'll need clothes and stuff. Can we make fieldtrips? Every child deserves playgrounds and parks and play dates. Maybe we could rent a house or a cottage or something. Would that be alright?"

"As long as you keep me informed about your whereabouts, I don't see a problem with you relocating to a more child friendly environment," the social worker nodded. "I expect daily phone contact and I would like to schedule a 'home' visit. I need to make sure that that the child is in good hands before I hand in the papers."

Edward felt another wave of nausea hit as the magnitude of her words sank in.

Good hands… ha, what a joke. He couldn't even keep his plants alive. And children are a lot like plants, they need regular watering, weeding and pruning; at least that's what grandma Cullen always used to say. He was going to screw this up for sure.

.

..oOXOo.

.

_Dear diary, dear world…_

So road tripping with Maria… We managed to squeeze in three club shows and a radio gig in five short days. It never ceases to amaze me at some of the shit you can find out on the internet these days.

I was still living at home at the time. Not by choice, mind you. I was a bit behind on my college plans, having missed out on most of my senior year. Rest assure I was working my butt off to get my GED so that I could move on to college. I couldn't wait to get out of that house and get on with my life.

But back to the road trip… we told our parents we were heading for Boston where Maria were to visit her older sister and I were to check out potential Colleges. Of course, I had decided a long time decided I was going to study photojournalism at New York University, but my mom didn't know that yet.

Maria had an old monster of a car, a Mustang, that drank gas and chunked down oil like an alcoholic on holiday from rehab. We went through almost a case of oil a day on our little trip. It took us four days to get there. we slept in the car and changed clothes in McDonald restrooms. Did I mention it was cold and rainy and that the car leaked a rusty bucket?

'Forever Dawn' was everything I had imagined it would be. The first show we went to was fabulous, intimate yet laid-back. Well worth sleeping in the car. HE spotted me in the crowd. Can you believe that? We made eye contact and for a moment the crowd around me just melted away and all that was left was us. He held my gaze for the longest of times. I got so weak I could barely stand. I didn't mean to get all teeny on him, but how could I not….it was Edward!

The second show took place in Albany, where we had managed to secure a suite at the best hotel in town, which just happened to belong to the very same hotel chain Maria's older sister Hillary was employed by. But even more importantly it was the very same hotel a certain musician and his friends were staying at.

Thanks to a flat tire, we didn't make it to the show until it was nearly over, but that was alright seeing as we had high hope of running into a few familiar faces back at the hotel later that evening.

This is how it all went down; at precisely a quarter to midnight the fire alarm on the top floor went off for no apparent reason (he he)… okay maybe there was a reason, maybe someone accidentally on purpose left a lit cigarette in a trashcan… Anyway, the hotel staff immediately notified the fire department and began evacuating all guests.

They guided all guests to a nearby parking lot and told us to wait while they searched the rooms to locate the fire. Somehow in the commotion, we, Maria and I, ended up gravitating towards a certain guitar player (Jasper, Maria's number one squeeze, remember?) Maria chatted him up like a pro and within minutes they were sharing a rather animated conversation about guitars and amps and music in general.

'Guitar-boy' had a southern accent you could pour it over pancakes, but apart from that he seemed alright. He kept looking down the crack of Maria's top, and I kept looking down the street for a glimpse of Edward. He newer showed up, though, a slight miscalculation on my side…

Eventually the evacuation was called off and all the guests were ushered back inside the hotel again. That's when Jaz made his move and invited us to his room. Apparently he wanted to show Maria his 'Leslie West Rocket Guitar'. Ha, like I didn't see right through that excuse… He was still leering at her tits and I was still searching in every corner and under every rock for Edward, my saviour.

Once inside I found out that Jasper actually did have a 'Leslie West Rocket Guitar' in his room; a green one, shaped like a strange-futuristic-looking weapon. He also had enough beer and pot in his room to supply a small country.

Jasper was alright, Jasper was more than alright…

The three of us hung out and smoked for a bit. It was going great until I ruined it by asking about Edward…I didn't mean to…. I couldn't help it, I kept pestering Jasper with questions to the point were he was getting really pissed at me. Maria, bless her heart, pulled 'Guitar-boy' aside and whispered something into his ear. I couldn't hear what was being said, but he perked up considerably after that and even agreed to leave Edward a text message.

Jasper and Maria started making out on the bed. They had been going at it for maybe ten minutes when there was a knock on the door. Jasper got up to answer it, and in he walked…my beautiful green eyed angel.

He was grumpy, said the phone had woken him, which would explain his clothes… or lack there off... Get this, he was in his undies, clad in nothing but boxers and a t-shirt! I didn't mean to stare, I really didn't, but seeing him like THAT did weird things to me.

Jasper introduced us girls as college students and invited Edward to stay and hang out. Edward looked at us and smiled, but told Jasper 'thanks but no thanks'. His eyes looked glassy, like he was still half-asleep. I guess that's why he didn't recognise me… Because if he would have recognised me (as the girl he had eye fucked at the gig) I'm sure he would have stayed…

I tried not to get upset, really I did, but after Edward retreated back to his room, the feeling of rejection hit me like a ton of bricks.

So to summarise the rest of the night; for me the night ended with me in a drunk crying heap on the floor. For Maria on the other hand it ended in the bathroom, with her on her knees and 'Guitar-boy's' c#k in her mouth.

She said she didn't mind doing it, that it had been ok, but not nearly as romantic as she had hoped. HE didn't return the favour. I think she was a little disappointed that prince charming had turned out to be nothing but a frog.

Me, I was a little miffed that Edward had blown me off, but I was also mad determined that I would get my chance real soon…

Love always,

Angela Cullen

.

..oOXOo.

.


	11. Chapt 10 Shaky Hands, Spinning Head

**Chapter 10 - Shaky Hands, Spinning Head, Racing Heart**

Hands were shook, phone numbers were exchanged and then, finally, they were free to go. It had been a long, physically and emotionally draining afternoon. Not to surprisingly, Edward was the first one out the door. He couldn't get out of there fast enough it seemed. Only, in his haste to leave, he forgot one very important detail…. his son…

"Mr Cullen, wait!" Garrett Berger's authoritative voice stopped him a few steps short of the exit. "The child... You can't leave without the child," the lawyer pointed out calmly, but with a sense of urgency as he hurried to keep up with his client.

Edward halted, dead in his tracks, the color draining from his face when the meaning behind the words sank in.

"That's okay, I'll get the little one," Alice quickly offered as she materialized next to her brother, handing him her purse to hold while she shoved her arms into her jacket. "We'll need a cab, though… Could you call and make the arrangements, Edward?"

Edward nodded, but didn't move to comply. Instead his eyes remained distant, wandering, not fixated on anything or looking at anyone.

Just then, Bella joined the group and produced a car key from her purse. "I have a rental. It's parked about a block and a half away. I'll go get it and meet you out front," she suggested to Alice, then turning to Edward she added, "Why don't you come with me? You look like you could use some fresh air."

When he didn't respond immediately she put a hand on his shoulder. The gesture, however gently delivered, was received with a flinch.

"Don't," he snapped with a scrawl as if the touch had burned. He took a few steadying breaths, probably a conscious effort to calm himself, because when he spoke again his voice sounded more resigned than anything else. "I know I must sound like a whining five year old. But...shit...I just want to go home!"

Bella let her hand drop limply to her side. "We're ready to leave whenever you are."

"Great, then what's the holdup?" His words were strained as if it took a great effort to utter them.

"Well, one missing toddler for starters and also I think your lawyer wants few words with you before we leave."

There was that resigned look again, except this one held an element ofanxiety. "Of course," he replied, his face twisting with uncertainty glancing at the man with the expensive looking briefcase and the stuffy suit-and-tie outfit like it was the first time he had seen him.

"It's been a long afternoon," Mr. Berger said in an understanding manner. "While this is a pressing issue it's nothing that can't wait a day or two. I can put all the necessary papers together and bring them by your hotel in the morning, how does that sound?"

Edward's mouth moved as to say something, but nothing was heard.

"That would be great! We appreciate you help," Alice stepped in, thanking the lawyer sincerely. This of course prompted a new round of handshakes.

And so it went on for another 20 minutes, before they could finally be on their way…

.

..xXOXx.

The cool breeze did nothing to clear his clouded mind. It was late, much later than he had realized and the afternoon sun had long since begun its slow decent behind the silhouette of skyscrapers that framed the horizon.

Edwards eyes were fixed on the swing of Bella's ponytail as she walked ahead of him. They moved in silence. He wasn't sure where they were going. He vaguely remembered her mentioning a rental car, but didn't ask, he just followed.

No words were spoken until they had reached their destination; a sea of parked cars at the top level of a parking garage. That's when Bella pressed the unlock button on her car key and told him to look for flashing lights…. and that's when Edward's temper got the best of him….

"Unbelievable! You don't remember where you parked?" He spat the words out like a mouth full of too-hot coffee. "There are like a gazillion cars in here!"

"Sorry," she shrugged, not apologetic in the slightest. "It should be on this level. It's a Toyota, a green one… I think…"

"You *THINK*?" he all but yelled at her. "Are you sure it's a real car and not an imaginary one to match that imaginary ring on your finger?"

"There is a car, trust me. I didn't walk here all the way from the airport," she replied, ignoring this jab, as she kept walking down the rows of cars. "It should be somewhere in the red zone, near the back wall."

"The airport? Did you actually leave, only to turn around and fly right back again? And while we are on the subject; did you come back here for a particular reason? Other than to annoy me?" He threw his arms out in frustration, nearly slamming one into the side mirror of a nearby vehicle.

"You know why I came," she replied without stopping or looking back.. "You're the one that set the ball in motion by mentioning my name to the police. "

"Sure, but that doesn't explain why you're still around. I thought you said this wasn't a case for FBI. I thought you told me to hire a PI." She turned, narrowing her eyes, but before she had a chance to reply he continued with his rant. "It also doesn't explain why Alice felt the need to tell that ridiculous lie about our non existing relationship. Did she get that idea from you, because she sure as hell didn't get it from me?"

His words were cutting, but she didn't back away. Instead she closed the distance between them and poked a finger into the middle of his chest. "I think your sister is worried that the social worker is going to deem you, "– she jabbed him again –" an unfit parent. I think, by hinting at a steady relationship, that she was trying to make is seem like there will be a second caregiver around to pick up your slacks."

"Right, and what is one more lie in the grand scheme of things? " He grabbed her fingers and took a small step away, holding her hands between them like a shield.

"It's just Alice being Alice. Given her background, it's not all that strange that she'd go to great lengths to keep that boy out of the foster care system…. Ha, there it is!" Bella suddenly exclaimed, twisting her hands out of his grip and gesturing towards a very small Toyota iQ, parked between a BMW and a dirty white van.

Edward didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. "You've got to be shitting me! That's not a car, that's a joke!"

...xXOXx.

Bella let the conversation rest until they were successfully loaded into the small, but in her opinion feisty car.

She fastened her seatbelt and adjusted the rear-view mirror before she spoke again. "For the record, I was just as surprised as you were when Alice pulled that stunt."

When Edward didn't answer she continued, "I should have known she was up to something when she begged me to come to that meeting today."

Still no reply. She glanced over at him, but he had his whole body angled away from her his eyes closed and his head resting against the window.

"If it makes you feel better I think you're handling this better than most guys would."

He opened his eyes to glare at her. "Christ, Bella, enough with the chit chat. Just start the car, will you!"

Bella sighed, but turned the key in the ignition and the car roared… no hummed to life. She let the silence stretch while she navigated out of the parking garage and into the flow of traffic. Then, while stopping for a red light she decided to try a different angle. "So…" She drew out the word on a long breath. "… something struck me the other night. Something about Anthony's mother."

There was a heavy sigh from the passenger seat. "Why can't we just not talk for a little while?"

"No hear me out," Bella insisted. "I think that's quite obvious by now that she doesn't want to be found, right? And if she doesn't want to be found then how do we know that what she wrote in that letter is true? She could have easily fibbed with the facts to suit her purposes."

"You mean her name isn't really Kebi." He raised an eyebrow in mock surprise. "Really? I would have never guessed she'd lie about such a crucial detail."

"The mothers name, the name of the child, the birth date… She must have known that we would run every piece of information in that letter through all sorts of databases and official channels in hope of finding a match. But there is no match, no birth record, now is there?"

"No, not in the Seattle area anyway." Edwards at up straighter. "But maybe the child was born elsewhere?"

"Maybe… That's one possibility, but I still think that there must be some sort of connection to this city. I mean, this is where the child abandoned and this is where he was conceived… well supposedly anyway."

Edward grimaced, but refrained from commenting.

"Your sister seem to think he has a touch of a Seattle accent."

"Yeah, I know that's what she thinks, but there is no way anyone can tell for sure. He doesn't even talk that much to begin with, he's still just an itzy bitzy baby."

"A two year old is hardly a baby, Edward," Bella smiled at his reasoning. "But back to realization I had the other night. There is ONE thing, one sentence, in that letter that stands out from the rest. Something that is of such importance that it couldn't be left out. "

"And what would that be?"

"There was a mention of allergies. Do you remember?"

"Nuts and strawberries… "

"She wouldn't have put that in there if it wasn't important."

"Right, so the child has a few allergies. Brilliant work there Sherlock…"

"With small children it's often hard to tell what's wrong, when and if they get sick, because they can't always communicate what's causing their discomfort or pain," she darted a glance at him, before continuing. "The only way to know for sure what you're dealing with would be to bring the child to a hospital to see a pediatrician."

"Okay, " Edward nodded without sounding entirely convinced. "And this is useful how?"

"My bet is that out there somewhere, there is a doctor that has treated Anthony for Anaphylaxis."

"Anaphylaxis?"

"A severe form of allergic reaction which may cause swelling of the lips, eyelids or face, abdominal cramps, nausea and vomiting, hives, breathing difficulties, sudden weakness or dizziness or in worst case scenario unconsciousness."

"I see where this is going now, but could you please explain to me exactly how this will help me locate this Kebi woman, because last time I checked Seattle was a big city and correct me if I'm wrong but aren't most, if not all, hospital records confidential?"

"Ahhh, but this is right down my ally. I can help you with that. I'm an federal agent, remember? I do this sort of research all the time." She stole a glance at him to gauge his reaction.

"Excuse me, did I hear you right? You're offering me your services, your help?" He looked like he was about to explode, not a very good look for him. "A month ago you didn't want to be anywhere near me, you even had your mother threatening me with a restraining order…"

Bella stomped the gas pedal with a little more force than needed, causing the car to surge forward. "I was wondering how long it would take for you to bring that up," she sighed, steering the car over to the right lane after having spotted Alice further down the street. She had been crawling around the block at 50 MPH. This was the third and most definitely final lap, because the conversation had now taken an, in her opinion, unpleasant turn.

"Look, whatever my mother told you, it wasn't true. I wouldn't sink that low." She knew it wasn't much of an explanation, but it was the best she could do. "I was upset with you, I still am, no point in denying that. I almost lost my job because of you." It came out sounding like an accusation so she hurried to add, "You took off without even giving me a chance to explain myself, without giving us a chance to talk things through and work things out."

"You were the one that kept telling me there was no 'us' and that there could never be an 'us'," Edward pointed out in a strangely distant voice. Replaying the past in his mind, no doubt. "Besides you withheld information to the point where I couldn't trust you anymore."

His words stung. "Everything you just said is true, but it was never my intention to intentionally hurt you. In fact I did everything in my power to keep you from getting hurt."

Pulling the car to a screeching halt, she honked the horn. "You're sister will join us in about 30 seconds. I suggest we table this discussion for now."

"How about we postpone it indefinitely? It's not like it will change anything anyways."

"I second that," Bella agreed readily, ignoring the sudden feeling of emptiness that washed over her.

.  
..xXOXx.

"My phone is ringing, could you take him?"

Edward didn't have a chance to protest before the child was pushed into his already occupied arms.

He dropped his keycard and his wallet, but managed to hold on to the shopping bags and the half empty water bottle he had been drinking from.

They were back at the hotel again after a seemingly never ending detour that involved stocking up on what Alice called 'strategic necessities' like ice cream, leave-in conditioner, color-coordinated bibs, pull ups and night diapers. On Alice's insistence they had also swung by McDonalds for some drive through carbs, which had turned out to be a pretty smart move. Anthony ate exactly one third of a happy meal burger and two super sized portions of fries before he was struck with a reversed sugar rush and fell asleep in backseat of the car.

The child was heavy and so were the shopping bags. "Alice, wait!" he protested, staggering under the sudden weight. "Let me at least unlock this door first."

"Can't wait…. "Alice shook her head, flipping her cell phone open. "I need to take this, it's mom, and you don't want her to know where I am at the moment, now do you?"

She had a point there, of course, but that didn't mean Edward had to like it.

Hoisting the dead weight of the sleeping boy onto his hip, he grumbled something, not very nice, about his sister under his breath.

Alice just laughed and flipped him off to which Edward retaliated by throwing the first thing handy, the water bottle, after her as she skipped down the hall..

The water bottle bounced a few times and then disappeared around a corner where he could hear it hitting something with a muted thud.

He held his breath, waiting for a crashing noise. It never came. Instead Bella appeared around the corner, her hands on her hips and a scorn on her face.

"I know I'm not your favorite person at the moment, but there is no need to take to violence."

Edward let his head fall like a defeated man and heaved a sigh that was long and deep. "Go home Bella!"

"I don't want to be here anymore than you want me here. Unfortunately, though, Alice still has the MasterCard I lent her when we stopped for gas. I'm not leaving without it so you won't get rid of me just yet." As she spoke she bent down and grabbed the keycard and the wallet off the floor. "However, if you ask me nicely I might lend you a hand with the door and the boy and all the crap you've spread out on the floor. Or are you planning on standing here until Alice gets back, because that could take a while. "

"Fine, I need your help with the door. But that's all I need from you, got it?," he huffed, feeling his impatience creeping into his voice. "And hurry the fuck up, because I think I just got pissed on!" he added when she made no move towards the door.

"I didn't hear a please."

"Are you serious?" he spat, looking at her incredulously.

"Hurry the fuck up, PLE-EE-ASE."

"Look, Bella, I'm not kidding. Something just soaked through my shirt and I don't think it is snot, tears or drool."

She sniffed the air and her nose wrinkled, but still made no move to open the door.

"Please. There I said it. Would you please get the door."

"That wasn't so hard now, was it? " she teased, finally sliding the key card into the lock.

.  
..xXOXx.

Once inside the room Edward struggled for a good five minutes just trying to free himself of his now contaminated leather jacket and gray zip-up hoodie.

"Wouldn't it be easier if you put the child down first," Bella suggested from the doorway where she had been watching the spectacle with both glee andfascination.

"You want to hold him? Be my guest," Edward snapped back, taking a few steps in her direction.

Bella felt herself back away instinctively. The kid was cute, but the smell, not so much….

Fortunately, though, Alice picked that precise moment to step thought the door and ask, "Is everything alright in here?"

"I smell like a rest stop urinal. So, no; everything is not alright in here!"

"Aw, did you have an accident, Edward? I told you that second milkshake was a bad idea!"

"Ha, ha very funny," Edward grumbled under his breath.

"Why don't you cover the bed with a towel or something, so that you can get the little guy off your hands? "Alice suggested with a barely concealed smile. "Unless, of course, you're planning on waking him up for a proper bath?"

"No way, I value my sanity way too much to deal with that tonight!" Edward shuddered.

Even Bella knew, after having spent only a few hours in Anthony's company, that the little guy hated water with passion, hence the recent purchase of leave in conditioner and dry shampoo.

"Whatever you're comfortable with," Alice said, bravely crossing the room to give her brother a pat an his shoulder before she strode over towards the balcony and cranked the door open.

"Everything will look better in the morning, you'll see!" she offered cheerfully, then turning to Bella she added, "It's getting late. Do you need someplace to stay tonight? You're suitcase is in the car, right? My room is across the hall. I could always ask for an extra bed to be put in there."

"Well, I guess I've missed my chance to get on a plane tonight," Bella sighed. "Thanks, I appreciate the offer."

"Great, I'll make the arrangements," Alice nodded. "I'm just going to say goodnight to Jasper first," she added gesturing towards her cell phone. "Speaking of goodnight, Edward don't forget to brush his teeth before you tuck him in."

"Right, cause good forbid the kid goes to sleep without brushing his teeth."

"Don't worry, you'll have the bedtime routine down in no time," Alice grinned and turned back to Bella. "I'll be across the hall, in case you need me."  
.

..xXOXx.

"This...is...just...nasty!"

"Sorry, were you talking to me?" Bella asked, inching closer to the bed where Edward was still struggling with the logistics of disrobing the sleeping child.

"Not necessarily, but since you're asking… I need diapers; they are in the plastic bag over by my suitcase. Can you get them for me, please?"

"Alright, since you're asking so nicely… And while I'm at it is there anything else you need?"

"Well, a wet towel would be great," Edward sighed and rolled Anthony onto his back carefully, removing his socks, shoes and slightly damp sweatpants. "This is nasty! I did NOT sign up for this. Kids are messy little buggers."

"And you just realized that now?" Bella commented, swatting the back of his head as she walked past him on her way to collect the things he needed. That had been a mistake, of course. The touch of his hair jogged all sorts of repressed memories, making her fingers ache with the urge to pull and clutch at it.

She fled out of the room and hid in the bathroom for a god five minutes. When she returned Edward was exactly where she had left him. The only difference was the handful of baby wipes that were now littering the floor.

"Here you go!" Putting on an indifferent face, she circled the bed and stopped at a close, but safe distance.

Without a word he snatched the towel out of her hand and began wiping the boy clean from top to toe. Bella noted that, negative remarks and winy attitude aside, it actually looked like he knew what he was doing,

"So, you realize it could have been a lot worse, right?" She commented, catching herself stepping closer, despite her previous attempts to stay aloof.

"Really, because from where I'm standing it's looking pretty darn bad," Edward was quick to reply.

"Right, but you're a grown man, with a stable income and a great support system. You're lucky this is happening now and not when you were an eighteen year old kid messing around with some skanky high school broad in the backseat of your car."

"Did you just call your teenage self and Chief Swans only daughter, a skank?" He half snorted, half laughed. "Because she is, as you very well know, the only girl that ever got to see the backseat of that Volvo."

"See, my point exactly. You're lucky, because Chief Swan would have shot first and asked questions later."

"Alright smartass, point taken," he grumbled, throwing her a glance over his shoulder. "I'm going to need that diaper now unless of course you want to take over and finish this."

"Uh uh, I don't think so. Not my area of expertise," she chuckled as she handed him the diaper. "I can't believe he's still sleeping with you lifting him by the ankles like that. That can't be comfortable."

"Are you questioning my technique?"

"Heavens no, I have very limited experience when it comes to changing diapers."

"What, you think I have more experience? You're a female, aren't you like pre-programmed to know this stuff. Besides didn't you use to baby sit when we were teenagers?"

"Yeah, briefly, for one of my dad's colleagues kids, but they were like nine and eleven years old, so that hardly counts. And not all females are good with kids, you know. I was an only child and Renee isn't exactly the motherly type so it's not like I've had anyone around to teach me this stuff."

"So you don't want kids?" he asked without looking at her, but the tone of his voice was genuinely curious. "You and Jake never … you know…. considered expanding your family?"

Ouch! She stepped right into that one. Definitely not the conversation she was expecting to have with him anytime soon. "E-e-excuse me?" she stuttered, while trying to calm her rapidly beating heart.

"It's not that strange of a question. You did marry him, after all. And marriage usually means two and half kids, a minivan or a SUV and a white picket fence."

Bella bit her lip so hard she tasted the salty copper twang of blood and tried to focus on the pain to keep herself from feeing the room again."Well, Jake wasn't the minivan kind of guy. He had a very demanding career…. and so did I, come to think of it. So the answer is no, we never had any concrete plans."

"So you DO want children, then?" he pushed.

"You know what; I don't feel comfortable talking about this with you. Besides shouldn't you concentrate on getting that diaper in place before we have another accident on our hands?"

The room was quiet for a heart stopping second before Edward sighed. "You're right. Better wrap this up quickly. "

Lifting the boy's feet once more, he quickly to slid the diaper in place. "Tell me one thing though, Bella, if it had happened to you, to us, back in the day… " he paused secure the sticky tabs on each side before he continued. " If there would have been unplanned consequences as a result of all that time we spent steaming the windows of my car…You would have told me about it, right? Whatever your decision would have been, you still would have let me know, one way or another, right?"

"Whoa! What kind of question is that!"

"It's a hypothetical one. Humor me with a hypothetical answer. I'm just trying to wrap my head around how a mother could do something like this to her child," Edward explained, getting the comforter off the bed and tucking it around Anthony's sleeping form.

"I wasn't kidding when I said Charlie would have killed you, you know."

"I know. Could you…" he pointed pointing towards a stuffed animal at the foot of the bed. "He'll make my night a living hell if he wakes and that blasted thing isn't where he can see it."

"Oh, okay here…." She summoned her courage to look him in the eye as she handed him the well-loved toy tiger. "I'd like to be able to say that yes, I would have told you, but I was rather upset with you there for a while and besides we were just teenagers and immature ones at that…. Strong emotions drive us to irrational behaviors."

Edward frowned, silently contemplating her answer. "This woman must really hate me then, for her to go and do something as messed up as THIS..."

"I don't know about that, " Bella reasoned, absentmindedly picking up a discarded shoe from the floor, no bigger than the palm of her hand. "Maybe it's not about you at all. It is possible that nothing you could've said or done would have made any difference to the outcome of things."

"I could have stayed sober," Edward pushed away from the bed and began pacing the length of the room."I could have not slept with her, which I still don't remember doing, but obviously did."

"Yeah, but that was what… three, three and a half years ago?" Bella commented, placing the shoe, along with its matching twin and a pair of mismatched, but equally small, socks on top of the bedside table.

"So, what? I shouldn't feel bad that I can't remember anything about that night?"

"No, but you can hardly hold yourself responsible for every decision, good or bad, that she has made since then. It happened. You can't change it, you can't take it back. It's done. You need to find a way to move forward with your life "

"That's easy to say, but hard to do. The only way I'll get the answers I need to wrap my brain around this mess is if I find her. It's as simple as that."

"Now we're back where they started…. " Bella pointed out, watching a restless Edward cross the room again for the umpteenth time. "My offer still stands or let's put it this way; you have a choice to make. I can go back and tell my boss that there is a definite link between this paternity case and one of our ongoing investigations."

"What?" He halted mid-stide. "Oh, you mean the photograph? I had almost forgotten about that darn photograph."

"Jamie T Wilson is not only responsible for some rather disturbing photos, he is also a sought after murder suspect. You'd have tons of agents swarming this place in no time." She paused to let her words sink in. From the corner of her eye, she saw Edward go back to pacing again. "Bear in mind that none of those agents would be me, because I wouldn't be allowed to work actively on a case like that. And none of those agents would prioritize finding the missing person over catching the bad guy if it came down to picking one of those two."

Edward threw his hands up in a gesture of frustration. "You said I had a choice. What's the other option?"

"I can go back and tell my boss that I've seen nothing out of the ordinary, that it was a dead end and that I see no reason to investigate further."

"But you'd conduct a pirate investigation on the sly, right? Isn't that what you were offering?"

"Yes."

"Alright, let's do that. No agents. The fewer involved, the better, I think."

"Deal!"

They sealed it with a brisk, but firm handshake. Of course, the brief skin on skin contact was enough to make her traitorous fingers yearn for more again… more touch, more skin, more connection.

This time, however, it was Edward who took off fleeing to the bathroom.

.  
..xXOXx.

"Uh uh…Yeah, the lawyer will come by in the morning," Alice told her fiancé over the phone.

"… …."

"Maybe… He's still in shock more than anything, but I'm sure the boy will grow on him. It will work out for the best… it has to…"

"…"

"Yeah, you know what?" Speaking of working it out, I just got an idea. You had the chickenpox as a kid, right?"

"…"

"You didn't? That's perfect! Neither did Emmett... Hold on one second, while I set some balls in motion. I'll explain it to you later."

Phone still in hand she walked across the hallway and tapped lightly on the door to her brothers room before going inside.

"If you're looking for Edward, he's in the bathroom," Bella greeted her with a smile.

"Getting a shower?"

"No, not yet. He was about to, I think, but then Anthony woke up and Edward thought it would be a good idea to get the little tyke to use the bathroom one last time before bed."

"Ah, smart thinking!" Alice chuckled. "Say what you want about his parenting skills, but he learns from his past mistakes really well."

"You're enjoying this," Bella said accusingly, but with a smile. "You didn't invite me here because you were worried about this turning into a blackmailing scheme or another stalker situation. You invited me because you're hoping to see me and Edward play house with that kid."

Alice shrugged, feigning innocence. "He's a great little boy, who deserves a loving family. And my brother is a pretty great guy too, who could use someone to share his life with. I think you'd make a great mom some day."

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that. I come from a very dysfunctional family, Alice," she reminded her friend with a grimace. "You've met my mother; you know exactly what I'm talking about. There's a fine line between 'aiding' and 'meddling'. Don't cross it, the consequences can be simply heart-wrenching."

"Or they could lead to something great."

"Look, we don't know what happened to Anthony's mother. She might come back one day. She might want to reestablish contact with her son. There might be a potential custody battle in the future. Either way, that child is going to need a lot of time to acclimate himself to his new environment. He doesn't need a new mom thrown into the mix, not now… maybe never.… And Edward certainly doesn't need the added stress of another failed attempt to sort out our messy relationship."

"I'm sorry, you're right. I'll back off and let nature take its course," Alice apologized sounding utterly sincere. It lasted for about three seconds before she added, "I fully expect you to make me the maid of honor when you merry, though."

"ALICE!"

"What? It's a perfectly reasonable request," she chuckled, obviously enjoying herself immensely. "Whether the two of you actually work out your issues or not, your paths will be entwined from here on out – entwined, if not joined. Mark my words. I'm rarely wrong on stuff like this."

"I will never understand the way your brain works. Sometimes you say and do the most absurd things!"

"That sounds like something Edward would say. All jokes aside though, I actually came here for a reason."

"Which is?"

"To tell you that I just spoke with the hotel staff. It will take them about an hour to get that bed set up for you. I hope that's alright? Maybe we can get a drink or something while we wait?"

"Sure. No alcohol, though. I really should try and get an early start in the morning. "

"Uhm, about that. Are you sure I can't persuade you to stay another couple of days. The social worker will come by to do some sort of evaluation. She is probably going to want to have a word with you, seeing as we told her you are Edward's fiancée and all… "

"We told her? Do I have to remind you that you were the one doing most of the talking. If anyone asks where I disappeared to you could always tell them that I had a desk full of paperwork waiting for me back home. That wouldn't be a complete a lie."

"She will undoubtedly have a few questions about what you do for a living. I also got the impression that Franklin might have a question or two about your job and this recent engagement and how those two intersect. Would you rather have them call your workplace?"

"Ah, I see your point," Bella groaned, knowing a set up when she saw one, or in this case heard one. "I know what you're doing and I don't like it, Alice."

"But you'll comply nonetheless, because you know I'm only doing this to help Edward and we both know he needs all the help he can get."

Bella closed her eyes and sighed. "I do have some sick days accumulated."

"I knew you would see things my way!" she clapped her hands together excitedly. "So about those drinks, will you meet me in the bar downstairs in fifteen minutes? I still have one more phone call to make."

...xXOXx.

Alice waited until she was sure no one was within earshot before she picked up her phone again.

"Did you catch that?"

"…"

"Good. Now listen, we need to get Emmett and Rose onboard for this. That's going to be your job. Here's the plan; within the next twelve hours or so Elliott is going to spike a fever an develop a rash on his neck and his torso…."

"… …."

"No of course not… but Edward doesn't know that. We'll tell him Rose thinks it's the chickenpox because that's what's been going around at day care."

"…"

"Right and the incubation time is somewhere around two, three weeks. And seeing as you've been around him non stop over the last week, there's a pretty good chance that both you and Emmett will end up sick as well. And we all know Rosie is not the most nurturing or patient person… Obviously, I'm going to want to fly home immediately when I hear this news."

"…"

"… leaving Edward and little Ms. Secret Agent alone to deal with the kiddo. It's a brilliant plan if I may say so myself."

"….."

"Yeah, I know I'm sneaky like that…. "


	12. Chapter 11  An itchy, twitchy feeling

**Chapter 11 - An itchy, twitchy feeling **

The next morning Edward woke up to a loud banging sound resonating through the hotel suite. It was the sound of a plastic toy truck being flung repeatedly against the top of the bedside table.

"Whoa!" he protested groggily as he sat up in his bed. "Anthony, stop that…"

"Uh Oh," the boy shrieked, dropping the toy mid swing. "I say wakie, wake, gain anagain."

"You made all that noise to wake me up? Gee thanks, buddy." Edward pulled his arm out from under the covers and squinted to read the time on his watch. "Seven fifteen. Dude, why aren't you sleeping? It's too early for this…. "

"No seeping," Anthony shook his head and tugged at Edward's blankets.

"No more sleeping, huh? Well that settles it kiddo, you'll be bunking with auntie Alice from now on. You bear a striking resemblance to the Duracell Bunny and you certainly didn't get that from me."

"A bunny? Like Boo Boo?," Anthony asked and tilted is head to look up at Edward.

"Boo Boo?"

"Yeah! Boo Boo, on a telly."

"Whatever you say man," Edward mumbled, still not quite awake.

"Is a toon."

"Oh, Boo Boo is a cartoon."

"Is a toon," Anthony nodded giving him the 'I told you so' look.

Edward yawned and rubbed his eyes then scratched at his stubble. "So Anthony…" he said, suddenly getting an idea,"…I bet you like all sorts of cartoons, right?"

A few minutes later the little boy was sprawled out on the floor with his head in his hands and his eyes glued to some strange animated Japanese fantasy figure moving across the TV screen. Getting the bear buds to stay in place had proven to be a challenge. Too large to fit, they had to be held in place, but Anthony got the hang of it quickly.

Once Edward was sure the arrangement was going to work, he crawled back into bed and buried his head back in the pillow, hoping for another 15 minutes of rest.

Fifteen minutes turned into thirty and then quickly forty-five. That's when the sound of a ringing phone woke him with a start. Picking up the receiver he grumbled an answer in reply to the cheery voice on the other end.

He vaguely remembered Alice saying something about having requested a wake up call because the lawyer would be coming over early with some papers to sign or something to that extent, but he was too tired to remember the details.

He hung up the phone and climbed out of bed to gather up some clothes from his suitcase. As he went about his morning business he couldn't help but feel like there was something amiss, like there was something he should be doing differently, but couldn't remember what it might be.

On his way to the bathroom he nearly stumbled over the cord connecting the ear buds with the TV but didn't stop to think twice about it. It wasn't until he opened the bathroom door that he realized what it was he had forgotten…

The child sat crossed-legged in the middle of the bathroom floor and there was toilet paper everywhere, ripped to shreds like snow-flakes in a winter storm.

Once the initial shock had worn off, Edward entered the room in three swift strides only to set his bare feet down into something decidedly slimy.

"What the f-…" Gripping the bathroom countertop for balance, he swallowed the curse word that was on his tongue.

"What is this, soap?," he asked_, _speaking mostly to himself, as he didn't expect the toddler to provide him any answers.

The sound of his voice startled Anthony who flinched quite visibly and dropped what he had been holding in his hands.

"Well that explains it," Edward grumbled as he watched the small plastic bottle of shampoo roll across the floor. "You've been having a blast in here, haven't you?"

"Ceaning," a tiny voice replied from the floor. As if to illustrate his words, Anthony picked up a toothbrush and began scrubbing the gap between the tiles on the floor in front of him.

"You're cleaning? Fabulous! So, is that toothpaste you have there?," Edward questioned, with a worried glance at the bright turquoise looking goo that seemed to be covering a better part the toddlers tiny arms, chest and face.

"Is yummy, like mint," the boy nodded as he struggled to rise to his feet.

"Yeah, it tastes like mint."

"I have yello."

"Yello?"

"In tha hair," Anthony explained with a proud grin, running his hands through his hair.

"Yello in your hair? Oh you mean hair gel."

"Duno," Anthony shrugged and pulled out a can from the toilet bag beside him. "Have this!"

"Oh man you found my toilet bag… and my shaving cream…."

"Is cream like a cake?"

"No, it's not like the cream you put on a cake. You didn't put that stuff in your mouth, did you?" Edward asked warily and then somewhat abruptly yanked the can out of Anthony's hands. The sudden movement caused the child to lose his balance and fall on the slippery floor.

A loud clanging sound resonated throughout the bathroom followed by a high-pitched wail so sharp it could have cut glass.

Edward leaped forward and caught the child before he hit the floor, but the damage was obviously already done.

"Shhhhh. I've got you, Tony," he tried to soothe the hysterically crying child "Oh man, did you bump your head on the tub? Just… hang on buddy and let me take a look."

His heart skipped a beat up as he held the boys face between his hands and used his thumbs to gently wipe away the blood that trickled from a gash across the left eyebrow. Luckily the cut didn't look too deep, but the crying went on for what felt like hours… as did the bleeding…

"Owie!" Anthony screeched as Edward awkwardly dabbed at the wound with a towel.

"I know it hurts. We should put some ice on it. I bet the girls across the hall can get us some ice."

"Ice keem?" the boy sobbed, clutching Edwards blood sodden T-shirt.

Edward stared down at Anthony's tear stained face for a moment before relenting. "Sure, if you stop crying, I'll get you some ice cream."

"Wit cookies?" the little boy bargained.

"With cookies," Edward agreed with a sigh.

And so, another day of toddler-wrangling was under way…

.

.. oOo. oOo. oOo. oOo.

.

"Oooh, I needed this, Edward sighed contentedly and took another sip of the hot black liquid. I can't function without my morning coffee."

"Rough morning?" Garrett Berger asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You have no idea and it's not even nine thirty yet."

"Actually, my wife and I have raised five children, two sons and three daughters, so I think I have a pretty good idea what you're going through. The toddler years can be a challenging experience, but that is nothing compared to the teenage years. You just wait and see…"

"Oookay, we better get on with the paperwork before I change my mind," Edward warned, only half-kidding.

"It's all worth it though. Watching him grow will be the best experience of your life," the lawyer smiled reassuringly. "I need you to sign this," he continued, pushing a paper across the desk for his client to read. "It's a document stating that you are the biological father and that you want custody of the child."

"Okay," Edward nodded, scanning the form quickly before he signed his name on the dotted line. "Is that it? Is that all it takes to petition for custody?"

"That's all for today," Berger smiled, placing the form back in a folder. "This form needs to be lodged with the clerk of the Family Court in the district where the minor is currently residing, along with a copy of the paternity test results and a written evaluation from an accredited social worker…"

"…and once that's done it's bye, bye Seattle?"

"Yes, within a month or so you'll be free to take the child and go home."

.

.. oOo. oOo. oOo. oOo.

.

Alice dropped her bomb around lunchtime.

"Chickenpox? As in itchy blisters and brownish-looking scabs?" Bella asked with a frown, suddenly losing all appetite for the Cesar salad on the plate before her.

"I'm afraid so," Alice replied, holding a spoonful of cereal in front of Anthony.

"Open the tunnel, here comes the train," she cooed, mimicking the rhythmic sound of a train in motion. The child seemed impressed and she actually managed to get most of the cereal into his mouth before his lips were smacked together and the spitting began.

At least they had remembered the bib this time….

"Does he have like spots and everything?" Bella asked with furrowed brows.

"Yes, at first they thought it was just a rash, but he's running a fever and Carlisle says it sounds like the Chickenpox."

"And this is bad…. how?" Edward asked around a mouthful of half-chewed pancakes. "I mean it sucks that he's sick, but don't kids get the chickenpox all the time?"

"Please keep your food in your mouth, would ya? Alice grimaced at him. "And that goes for you too, Mister," she said with mocking sternness to Anthony. "It's bad because neither Emmett nor Jasper has had it and it's considered highly contagious so…"

"They'll most likely get it too." Bella finished her sentence.

"Yes and having chickenpox as an adult is no fun at all. So….eh… I don't know how to say this Edward, but I think I need to head home and take care of them."

Edward sighed and poured more syrup onto his plate. "Why can't Rosie handle it?"

"Well, Rosie isn't exactly known for her patience or her nurturing personality.…"

"Wait, what about you two?" Bella interrupted pointing between the two siblings. "You've both had it, right? Or are you potentially carrying the virus as well? It is a virus, isn't it?"

"Eh, I believe it's airborne, so I don't think it works that way, " Alice shrugged, loading up another spoonful of cereal. "But even if it does work that way, we both had it as kids so no one should be able to catch it from us."

"Are you sure about that? " Edward asked. "Because it would totally suck if this kiddo right here got sick on top of everything else!"

As if he knew he was being talked about, Anthony chose that precise moment to throw his zippy cup across the table sending various items of food flying in all directions.

And with that the topic of conversation was forgotten for the time being…

.  
.. oOo. oOo.

.

Alice's departure was quick and well-timed… a little too well-timed in Bella's liking.

Before she made her grand exit, Alice had managed to secure a small secluded cottage at the Lakeside Garden Resort, a family oriented resort about 45 minutes outside the city. There would be fabulous outdoor play areas for the child to enjoy, no doubt, but Bella feared the living quarters would be cramped.

Unlike Edward, Bella knew a set up when she saw one, which she told her traitor friend as she drove her to the airport. Alice merely laughed, insisting that a cranky Edward was much more manageable than a sick Emmett and that Bella was getting the better end of the deal.

Upon returning to the hotel suite she found Edward climbing the walls with terminal restlessness. Did chickenpox really trump cabin fever? She wasn't entirely convinced...

"Listen to this," Edward said, cornering her the minute she set her foot inside the door, "According to Wikipedia, Chickenpox is caused by a virus called VZV." He paused to scroll downwards on the display of his phone. "It appears as though no one is actually immune, but you're less likely to catch it if you have the antibodies."

"So Alice was right, then. There is no need to worry!" Bella sidestepped him and went to fetch herself a bottle of water from the mini fridge.

"Technically she was only half right, " Edward pointed out. "The virus can lie dormant within your body and cause shingles later on in life. People who haven't had chickenpox or the vaccine can catch it from someone with shingles."

"Oookay, but with no shingles in sight there really is no need to worry." She unscrewed the cap and took a long swig.

"Yet she rushed home like she was being chased by the Swine flu or something."

Shaking her head, Bella couldn't help but smile . "To her defense she isn't running from the germs, she is running to them and only because Jasper needs her."

Edward snorted loudly. "She is just looking for an excuse to dust off the naughty nurse outfit she keeps in the back of her closet."

Bella nearly choked on her water. "Ew, what is it with your family and hospital settings? I'll never forget that time we walked in on Esme and Carli-… "

"You're right. We don't need those kind of images," Edward interrupted, with a disgusted scoff.

It was already too late, though, because both their minds were already wander in the same direction.

Suddenly there was tension in the room. Tension that had very little to do with the memory of having caught a certain Doctor and his wife sneaking out of an ER supply closet flush-faced and giggling like teenagers. Instead the tension stemmed from another memory of another set of lovers stealing a moment of passion in a hospital setting.

Bella remembered it like yesterday; the stitches, the concussion, the headache. She remembered curling up together in that impossible narrow hospital bed. She remembered being disrobed of her hospital gown and then the pleading and begging that followed. She had been insatiable, shamelessly pushing for more; more contact, more heat, more pleasure…. She had gotten what she had asked for… and then some….

An unintentional groan (or was it a moan?) escaped her lips before she came back to her senses and began scrambling for something -anything- to steer the conversation onto safer grounds. "Never mind, this topic is hardly kid friendly. Speaking of which, where is the little tyke? It's alarmingly quiet in here."

Edward blinked as if he was coming out of a trance, then glanced over at the coach where Anthony was fast asleep. "He crashed like two seconds after you left."

"Oookay, good…. " she replied, taking a step back to put some distance between them. "…or maybe not so good, she frowned. "I think you're suppose to wake him every half an hour or so seeing as he most likely have a concussion."

Edward looked perplexed. "You're right. I didn't think of that."

"Maybe that's what you should been googling instead of chickenpox on that fancy phone of yours!" she snapped with a little more bite than she had intended.

"Eh…" Edward looked down at the phone in his hand like he didn't recognize it. "Oh, that reminds me…. You should hear what this wikipage says about adult cases of the chickenpox. Alice needs to take lots of pictures, because this is going to be hilarious! Adults tend to get more of both the itching and the red spots," he mused as he crossed the room and sat down on the couch next to the sleeping child.

"Oh, very mature Edward!" Bella scolded him as she watched him stroke the hair out of the boy's forehead for a quick inspection of the band aids. "That's your brother you're talking about. Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't adults more at risk of severe complications?"

"Yeah well, that only applies to people with weakened immune systems and pregnant women. Common complication are infections, pneumonia, temporary liver problems and toxic shock syndrome."

"W-what?" Bella choked feeling the bile rising in her throat. Her ears were ringing, her vision going gray…

"Toxic shock syndrome. I think it's like a bacterial infection, but don't quote -…"

He was cut short when Bella suddenly and very unceremoniously fainted and slumped to the floor with a dull thud.

…..

AN 1: So, I felt compiled to add a little chickenpox scare to this chapter after having read up on the potential health risks that you guys mentioned in your reviews. I had no idea chickenpox could potentially cause stillbirths and birth defects! I also had no idea that vaccination against chickenpox is more or less standard in the US (is this really correct?).

AN 2: If any of you are wondering why my updates have become less frequent or why I haven't responded to reviews in the last month or so, it's because I've been struggling with getting anything creative (not just writing) done at all at the moment. It's not a writer's block or anything. It's more about finding the energy to do anything other than collapse in front of the TV after work. And it doesn't help that I'm a painfully slow writer to begin with. Sundays are my dedicated writing days. I start at noone and usually don't stop until midnight, but that still doesn't give me enough time to keep up with a weekly update schedule. So… I think I'll be going back to posting shorter chapters again. I used to do this when I first started writing fics, but as my skills improved the chapters grew longer… Please bear with me while I figure stuff out, okay? It's my intention to get back to a weekly updating schedule as soon as possible.

AN 2: And now some Q&A's…

Q: How did Angela accomplish it (getting pregnant by Edward) if he did not know her before she became the stalker.

A: Angelas journal reveals that they actually met several times before she began stalking him. None of those meetings made any lasting impression on Edward though. He never really saw her, never really acknowledged her existence. I'm not ready to reveal how the babymaking incident came about just yet, but there is a reason why he can't remember anything about that night….

Q: So Angela somehow raped Edward while he was out of it?

A: Rape is such a loaded word. His mind might have been altered at the time, but he was a willing participant.

Q: when is he (Edward) going to find out Bella is pregnant?

A: Edward is dense (and preoccupied) it will take him a while to figure it all out. There will be plenty of clues for him to pick up on, though, now that the two of them sharing living quarters …


	13. Chapter 12 – Another bump in the road…

**Chapter 12 – Another bump in the road…**

.

.oOo. oOo. oOo. oOo. oOo. oOo. oOo. oOo.

.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Edward asked, his tone equal parts worried and curious. The glass of water in his hand clanked against the table as he set it down.

"Yes, I'm fine," Bella replied, scooting back to prop herself against the wall, legs stretched out in front of her. "The smell of blood that made me woozy, that's all," she shrugged, hoping her nonchalance sounded convincing.

In her mind she was racking her brain trying to remember where she had put the number to her obstetrician.

"What blood?" his brows furrowed uncomprehendingly, but then he followed her gaze to the sleeping child on the couch. "Oh, that! It stopped bleeding hours ago, but I guess those band aids are quite nasty."

"I know it looks worse than it is," Bella grimaced. "It's the eyebrow thing… A split eyebrow bleeds like a faucet. I don't particularly like the smell of blood, as I'm sure you remember."

"I remember," he nodded. "I just figured that it was something you'd outgrown considering your chosen profession and all."

"It doesn't affect me as much when it comes to dealing with total strangers and over the years I've learned to shield myself against it," she explained with an exasperated sigh, before adding, "Can I have that water now?" in an attempt to distract him from the subject.

It worked for all about ten seconds, which was the amount of the time it took for him to retrieve the water glass from the table.

"You seemed fine with it this morning when Alice helped me clean the cut," he commented, as he turned back to her, glass in hand.

She downed it in three quick swallows. "Like I said, I can shield myself pretty good against it if I know it's coming. And with all the crying this morning it was pretty hard to miss that the kiddo had hurt himself."

"Oh.." he nodded. "I didn't think of that. So it's not so much about the amount of blood, it's more about the situation?"

"Yes, " she answered simply and then somewhat awkwardly began pushing herself off the floor.

"Ah, wait, let me help you." Slipping his a hand under her elbow, he quickly hauled her to her feet.

She swayed at the unexpected movement. He tried to wrap an arm round her waist for support, but she brushed him off with the nastiest look she could muster.

"I swear, if you don't stop hovering I'm gonna deck you!"

"I've heard that before," his face broke into a wide smirk. "In fact I believe that's the exact same thing you told me after you passed out in Bio. You remember that? We did blood typing; it must have been our junior year."

"You were like two seconds away from carrying me off to the school nurse... bridal style... across the schoolyard for the entire student body to see... "

"Someone had to take you. It was either me or that grabby blond kid who was leering at your ass."

"That was Jasper, you doofus, and he was only trying to be helpful."

"That's not how I remember it… Are you sure you didn't hit your head in the fall, your memory seem to have taken a hit."

She slapped his chest hard, eliciting a wince. "You should go wake Anthony, he needs your attention more than I do."

She waited until she saw the boy awake and lucid. Like most toddlers he didn't much like being forced awake from his nap; a dislike he expressed loud and clear every. Knowing Edward would be preoccupied for a while she took the opportunity to sneak off and make a few phone calls.

.oOo. oOo. oOo. oOo. oOo. oOo. oOo. oOo.

Alice, foreseeing as always, had left behind a note with a hand-drawn map with directions to the Lakeside Garden Resort along with a phone number to a medical advice line.

Bella couldn't remember ever having the chickenpox as a child and she most definitely did not feel like consulting Renee about it.

Fortunately though, it appeared as though she had nothing to worry about… well as far as the VZV virus was concerned anyway...

After having spoken to a nurse, specialist in infection prevention, she was assured that it was very unlikely that she would have contracted the disease from the Cullen's. She also learned that that there was a blood test called a varicella titer that could determine whether or not she had antibodies and immunity to the disease.

She made a mental note to ask her doctor about it at her next appointment.

.

.oOo. oOo. oOo. oOo. oOo. oOo. oOo. oOo.

.

The phone number to the medical advice line came in handy more than once that afternoon…

The first call had resulted in a purchase of baby Tylenol for Anthony. The second call, the one Bella had locked herself inside the bathroom to make, had been regarding the VZV virus.

Now it looked like Bella would have to make a third call, because instead of improving the poor child was looking more miserable with every passing minute. He had a shiner and bump to on his forehead the size of a small egg cut in half lengthwise, but on top of that it also appeared as though he was suffering from a bout of motion sickness.

Relocating to the resort had turned out to be quite the task. Bella was utterly baffled at how such a small child could generate such a large amount of kiddy stuff in such a short time. There were mountains of diapers, toys and laundry to sort out and oceans preparations to make. The day had worn into the late afternoon, before they had even made it out of the hotel room and into the rental car.

The first fifteen minutes of the drive had been uneventful, but then something went wrong with the transmission, causing the car to jolt and jerk between gears, which in turn caused Anthony's face to take on a greenish tint.

Edward's feeble attempts to care for the young boy had been a source of amusement at first, but now it was getting old real fast.

Geez could he not see that the Anthony was on verge of emptying the content of his stomach all over himself and the backseat of the car? …Apparently not… Apparently he was blind and deaf to everything, but some stupid guitar chords app on his phone. It would suit him right if the child puked all over his precious guitar case which took up the better part of the left hand back seat.

When she finally found a safe place to pull the car off the road, the transmission protested loudly, as did Edward.

"What the he-… ck?" he grumbled as he had to grab on to the dashboard because it of the sudden turn. "Has anyone ever told you that your driving sucks."

"There is nothing wrong with my driving, thank you very much..." Bella replied, unbuckling her seatbelt. "Maybe if you weren't so self absorbed and lost in your own little bubble you would have realized that we have a sick child in the backseat."

"He's not sick, he's just cranky because his head hurts."

"Allright, if you say so. Just remember that he's your responsibility. You're the one dealing with the mess if he throws up."

"Well, thank you for pointing that out. Now what do you suggest I do? Enlighten me, because I've no idea what it is you think I should be doing differently."

Bella took a deep breath and closed her eyes, counting to ten in her head. "How about you get back there and check on him for starters! Get him out in the fresh air, give him water, check his pupils… "

"Check his pupils?"

"I'm no doctor, but I'm pretty sure that repeated vomiting and dilated pupils are red flags to look out for with head injuries."

He actually had the decency to look a bit taken aback. "Great! What's next; seizures and froth chewing?"

Bella would have scoffed at his response if she hadn't detected a note of anxiety in his voice.

"He's probably just car sick, Edward. He'll be alright, I promise. Now get him out of the car before we have another stinky mess on our hands!"

In hindsight maybe they should have known placing a two year old in the backseat without a car seat wasn't such a good idea… not to mention dangerous and against the law in most states. Something they were informed about by the operator as Bella placed yet another call to the medical advice line.

Just as she had predicted the verdict was 'motion sickness and lingering post-concussion effects'. They sat in the grass alongside the road for 45 minutes until the child was well enough to eat a few crackers and drink some water without it coming back up.

Edward's Cabin Trolley Bag made perfect makeshift car seat and the rest of the drive was slightly less eventful…

When they arrived to the 'Lakeside Garden' resort check in time had long since passed. The reception was closed and they had to wait in the car outside the gates for another fifteen minutes before they were allowed to check in.

The 'small secluded cottage' turned out to be… well, small and secluded - two rooms and a kitchenette, no neighbors in sight and lots and lots of privacy. Bella wasn't exactly thrilled with the arrangement. From a security perspective, the resort was perfect; gated with 24 hour security and controlled access, but with the cottage being so small… well, let's just say her and Edward living in such tight quarters, if only for a few days, was going to be a challenge…


	14. Chapt 13–Bring on the cigars, it's a boy

**Chapter 13 – Bring on the cigars, it's a boy!**

.  
That fist night in the cottage Edward bathed Anthony in the kitchen sink. Not because the bathroom didn't have a perfectly functional shower or anything… but because Anthony hated water with passion. The only way to get the boy clean was to pour a bath and gently, but firmly dip him into the water. He fought it like a cat afraid of drowning, but once it was over he was so exhausted he fell asleep the very same minute his head hit the pillow.

The child slept tucked away in the bottom bunk of the massive bunk bed that took up almost the entire bedroom. Edward declared the top bunk his, which left Bella with the sofa bed in the living room/kitchenette area.

Once her bags were put away Bella unpacked her laptop and placed it gently on the coffee table. The night was still early, the clock on the wall just nearing eight, and she had tons of work to do. Research is time consuming. That point cannot be emphasized enough.

She had already separated what she knew to be true from what she assumed to be true and was left with a list of indisputable facts. Next step was to run that list against various of databases of stored records (like for example birth, marriage and death registrations in the Seattle area) and WOLA, hopefully she'd find a match… or in this case, as it turned out, 3245 possible matches… this was where research came into the picture… Data processing by elimination was a whole science in itself. Every single piece of information needed to be verified and indexed for rapid retrieval and cross-matching.

Kicking off her shoes, Bella settled into the sofa with her tired feet elevated on some pillows. Once she had found a comfortable position she fired up her computer and waited for it to boot.

About a half an hour later a sound of something thudding against the wall broke her concentration. Looking up, she saw Edward by the door bending down to tie his shoe laces.

"Going somewhere?" she asked as she looked at him cautiously.

"I was thinking I'd go for a walk," he stood up and stretched his arms high over his head, his shirt riding up over his taut belly.

"A walk? You're going for a walk?" Bella questioned stupidly as her eyes involuntarily sought out the flash of skin and the line of hair that disappeared into the front of his jeans.

"Yes, that's what I said, a walk. It's not that foreign of a concept, people do it all the time. You put one foot in font of the other and keep moving."

"Yeah, I'm familiar with that part… What I want to know is when I became the 'babysitter' in all this? I think I've already dealt with my fair share of smelly body fluids and toddler antics today. You can't just take off and leave whenever you feel like it...Not anymore… You've got a whole set of new responsibilities now."

"Come on, he's asleep and I'll only be gone for half an hour or so," he pleaded.

She avoided his gaze, knowing that if she looked into his eyes, she'd lose all sense of rational thinking. "Don't get me wrong. Anthony is a great kid and I don't mind hanging out with him, but you can't just assu-..."

"I'm not assuming anything, I just didn't think of asking first, because I didn't think you'd mind, since he's asleep and all... Look, I left my phone in the car and I need to go look for it because I have an important phone call to make… to my parents…. I'm telling them tonight. I'm telling my Carlisle and Esme about Anthony tonight."

"You haven't told them yet?" Bella asked, genuinely surprised. "Alice told me they are away on a cruise, but I figured you would have spoken to them by now."

"Nope, it's Carlisle's first real vacation in years and I honestly thought this whole thing would blow over once I got the test result back. It didn't quite work out that way and now I need tell them the 'happy' news," he paused to make air quotes around the word happy before he continued. "…because if I don't then Alice will do it for me."

"Surely she'd respect your wishes if you let her know you want to be the one telling them."

"Of course, but for how long? She's already told Jasper and I'm sure both Em and Rosie have been thoroughly briefed by now as well. "As he spoke, he squared his shoulders, making it look like he was bracing himself for a blow. "I need to tell them. It's just a matter of time before someone slips and I'm not going to risk it.

Bella rose from the sofa to retrieve the car keys. "I'd wish you good luck, but it's not 'luck' that will get you through this."

"No, it's not," he agreed. "I need to rip the band-aid right off. There is no way around it. It needs to be done, and it's not going to get any easier if I wait. Besides, there is something I need to ask Carlisle about, something that's been on my mind ever since that conversation we had the other day."

"What conversation?"

"The one about allergies and how there might be a doctor out there somewhere that has treated Anthony for Antaphy-…, Anaphy-…, "

"Anaphylaxis?"

"Right, well It got me thinking…. I never had any allergies as a kid, but there was this one time, a few years back…. My face swelled up like a chipmunk's- no, like a helium balloon. I'm sure it looked all kinds of bizarre, and it was out in public, of course… at some fancy party…"

"That happened to me once too, the swelling I mean, but it turned out to be a strep throat."

"Well, this was definitely not a step throat. I'm pretty sure it was the shrimp cocktails. I only ate like two or three of those things, but within minutes my face was swelling and my throat was closing up and the next thing I remember is waking up in an emergency room."

"So, does this mean you're allergic to seafood then?"

"No, I don't think so. I haven't had any troubles with shrimps before," Edward replied with a sheepish smile and scratched his head. "I don't know for sure what it was, exactly, that set it off, but I've been told that the reaction might possibly have been heightened by a wee bit too much alcohol. Sent me into panic mode, which didn't help my already challenged breathing."

Bella crossed her arms over her chest and feigned shock and disapproval. "Gee, let me guess, you were shit faced drunk when it happened! That seems to be a pattern with you."

He narrowed his eyes, but let the jab slide. "This was years ago, so my memory is a bit fuzzy. I was hoping Carlisle could help me with the time frame. He was right there at the hospital with me when it happened."

"So it was in Forks then?"

"No Seattle, which is why the timeframe is important. It must have been about a year before Em and Rosie got married."

"Which was when, 08?" Bella guessed and Edward nodded.

"Yep, Valentines Day in 2008. I accidentally ate crab cake on their wedding reception and nearly had another panic attack thinking history would repeat itself... "

"And?"

"And what?"

"Did it repeat itself?"

"No, I was fine, nothing happened. It has only happened that one time. I obviously haven't been eating a lot of seafood since then, but I haven't been avoiding it completely either."

"There are tests you can take to screen for allergies you know."

"I know, my dad is a doctor, remember? You're missing the point here." Edward shook his head. " I can count the number of times I've been up here, in this area, over the last five years on my two hands. If the wedding was 2008, the whole chipmunk ordeal must have happened prior to that point, which puts it somewhere around summer of 2007…or even as early as march…"

"Oh?"

He could practically see the moment her mind clicked and she figured it out. "Oh! You were out drinking in Seattle, at some fancy party, your memory is fuzzy, but it might have been right around Easter time in 2007… Is that what you're saying?"

"Possibly… That's what I'm hoping Carlisle could answer for me. That and weather or not they ran a tox screen on me when I was first brought in." Those last words were said in an almost inaudible voice and Bella felt her heart plummet for him. Not this… not again…

"You think someone slipped you something?" she asked, bracing herself for the answer.

He shook his head 'no', "It was an allergic reaction, there is no doubt about it. Still, with everything I've found out lately, I would feel a lot better to see it in black and white on paper."

"Of course."

The urge to reach out and sooth him was overwhelming, but she fought it for the sake of keeping her sanity. Edward, of course, mistook her internal struggle for something else, skepticism maybe or disapproval, and went straight into defense mode.

"Look, it's not that I don't drink on a fairly regular basis and it's not that I haven't done stupid, immature things while drunk. The thing is, though, I don't drink when outside my comfort zone," he explained, his jaw tight, neck muscles tensed. "I've learned the hard way to always be careful. I never drink anything I haven't seen poured. I never leave drinks unattended. I only ever cut loose around people I feel 100% comfortable with."

"I know. I'm sorry," she threw he hands up to indicate that she was surrendering.

"And I most certainly did not have sex with anyone after blacking out from an allergic shook reaction, if that's what you're thinking."

"No, of course not. I don't think that's even medically possible. This just provides us a new angle to work with, that's all. I believe the million dollar question here is; when was this party and where?… Oh, and also… who were you out with? Who could you have been out drinking yourself silly with, here in Seattle, in march 2007, when…"

"…when all the usual suspects were back in NY!" Edward finished her sentence and then threw up his hands in a finally-she-gets-it kind of way. "That's something that has boggled me since the very beginning. I did hang out a few times with the studio musicians I worked with. There is nothing unusual about that. We went to a sport's bar, saw a hockey game and then there was this open mic thing. I remember every single one of those outings clearly, though, because I didn't really drink that much… or at all…"

"Maybe you ran into someone from school? Seattle is not that far from Forks, you know."

"Maybe," he agreed, but the sounded dubious.

"Who brought you to the hospital? Or was it an ambulance?"

"No ambulance. I could have sworn it was Jasper, but he was nowhere near Forks that spring, so either I have the dates all wrong, or my memory is playing tricks on me. Whoever it was, though, knew me well enough to make sure Carlisle was contacted straight away."

"Then Carlisle must know who it was?"

He smiled a sad sort of half smile. "Yeah, he's usually good at remembering all sorts of random stuff, especially when it relates to his work. "

Uncrossing her arms, Bella dangled the car keys on her index finger.

"What are you still doing here? Don't you have a phone call to make?"

.

.

A green matchbox car had been parked in the cup holder between the gear shift and the handbrake… left behind in favor of more immediate needs…. abandoned… Just like the boy, like Anthony, his son…

"I have a child, a SON," Edward whispered to himself and shook his head.

He still couldn't quite get his mind around it. There were so many blanks left to be filled in, so many pieces to this puzzle. He had no idea where to start, but sitting there in an empty parking lot with his phone in his hand wasn't going to accomplish anything.

He had the number on speed dial and only had to press two buttons to make the call, but that didn't make it any easier. He could feel his stomach doing cartwheels as he flipped his cell phone open.

.

.

Bella must have fallen asleep in front of the television. She awoke with its blue light flickering over her in the dark room. The sofa was comfortable, but the laptop resting on her stomach… not so much…

She got up to check on Anthony. On her way to the bedroom she passed a window and was startled to see it was pitch black outside. It was late, really late. She must have been asleep longer than she'd first thought… hours maybe… Luckily Anthony was snoozing away peacefully in the bottom bunk. She knew the boy was a light sleeper and had fallen into a habit of waking up every three or four hours during the night, but so far so good. The top bunk was empty, as was the rest of the cabin… No sign of Edward… She tried his cell phone and got his voice mail. Should she be worried? No she decided, he is a grown man, he can take care of himself.

That resolution lasted for a whole five minutes before she tried his cell phone again…. Still no answer, of course.. She left him a quick message telling him that she was anxious to hear from him and that he needed to check in with her ASAP.

Not clingy at all...

She realized with a hint of embarrassment that she was no better than Chief Swan had been back in the day. Only Edward wasn't a sheltered teenage girl… and she was in no way his keeper…

Putting her phone away, she scurried into the bathroom to get changed into her night attire.

It took her a good twenty minutes to figure out how to unfold the sofa into a full size bed and then another ten to get comfy. The comforter was too thin and the pillow too lumpy and just as her eyelids began to droop she realized she still had her contacts in… a big no no as she had über sensitive eyes and often got infections. So she dragged herself out of bed and stumbled off to the bathroom. She had just put her contact lenses to soak when she heard the crunch of a key sliding into the lock.

.

.

The man on the other end of the phone line was quiet for a moment. Edward could hear a glass being filled with ice cubes, and then there was the sound of liquid being poured, presumably from a bottle.

"You know for sure he's yours?" his father finally asked. "You're not just taking this woman's word for it?"

"He's mine, Carlisle. We've had a DNA test done and everything."

"She had your child and she didn't tell you? Who is this woman?"

Edward didn't know how to answer, there was no way he could tell his father that he didn't know… that'd he had in fact been that irresponsible. "Just someone I used to hang out with a few years back. It never got serious… we never…"

"Never serious? It resulted in a child, I'd say that's serious, alright."

"I know..," he answered softly.

"You need to make things right, not just with the child, but with her as well."

"How can I do that if I can't even find her? Besides she abandoned her own child, I'm not sure I even care what happens to her."

"Clearly there is a story here that I know nothing about, but how do you know that she wasn't acting with the child's best interest in mind? This woman could be stuck in a really unhealthy environment with domestic violence, drugs or psychological abuse. Or maybe she's simply struggling financially. You don't really have the whole picture until you have found and spoken to her."

"I know… Look, I've taken measures to track her down, but apparently the name I know her by is not even her real name, so it's not like I have a lot to work on."

"You said she's from Seattle. When was the last time you saw her?"

"That's actually something I was hoping you could help me with. I'm thinking it must have been around the time I ended up in the ER because of those shrimps I ate. You remember that?"

"Sure do, "Carlisle replied almost instantly. "You weren't responding to the treatment and they were minutes away from performing a tracheostomy when I got there. It was quite dramatic."

"I wouldn't know… I was pretty out of it. What I remember is getting stomach pumped and that was quite dramatic too, let me tell you!"

"Ah, but that was mostly self inflicted, though. With the alcohol you had in your system your body needed all the help it could get to flush the offending allergen out of its system…And also, purging oneself of a toxic can have psychological benefits as well... Look, Esme just walked through the door. Do you want to speak with her yourself or do you want me to fill her in on what's going on and have her call you back later?"

"Cushion the blow, you mean?" Edward could already hear his mother's voice in the background as she began firing off the expected triad of questions.

"Something like that...," Carlisle replied with a humorless chuckle. "You want me to put her on speaker phone?"

"Do I want to? NO. Do I need to? YES. Put her on before I lose my nerve," Edward sighed rubbing his face with his free hand. "I want her to hear it from me."

"Hear what, darling?" his mother asked with a wary, yet clueless tone of voice. "Carlisle is drinking whiskey and he hasn't touched that stuff in years. Is it bad news? Should I be sitting down for this?"

Here goes nothing, Edward thought drawing a nervous breath.

"You know how you're always telling us you wouldn't mind more grandkids?"

"Uhm, I should be sitting down, shouldn't I?" his mother asked again, clearly picking up on the underlying tone of seriousness in his words.

He weighed his next words extremely carefully, then delivered them softly, "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'll be bringing someone special around for you to meet on Christmas…"

There was a long silence on the phone… and then more silence….

"I won't lie, Edward, "his mother finally replied. "If you bring home a pregnant girlfriend and there is no ring on her finger I'll be mighty disappointed in you."

"No one is pregnant, Esme," Carlisle interjected with and calm, composed voice.

"That's a relief. I want grandbabies, but more than anything I want to see my baby happily settled. I don't want to see you forced into something you're not ready for. Babies are tough on relationships, even the best and the strongest!"

"It's not always that simple, mom."

"I know, honey. So, are you going to tell me about this girl you're bringing or do I have to call Alice?"

Carlisle cleared his throat in the background and Edward knew it was now or never….

"It's not a girl, mom. It's a boy. His name is Anthony, he's two years old and he is mine."

.

.

Dear diary or diarrhea…

The baby from hell formerly known as Anthony is sick again, some sort of stomach bug this time and let me tell you it has been truly horrifying. Without getting too graphic, I'll just say it is coming out both ends at once.

He has been doing a little better today, but I haven't been able to work more than a few hours this last week. My next pay check is going to be next to nothing; meaning I'm going to have to move again, seeing as I'm already behind on my rent.

What I need is to find a couch to sleep on, or someone willing to sublet a really small, really cheap room for a month or two while I save up some money. That would be great. However who in their right mind would want to share living quarters with a single mom? I mean apart from the obvious answer… another single mom… Ugh, that's so not an attractive option! One screaming baby is more than enough… But wait, you're just a blank book, why would you care about my living arrangements? See, this is why I hate diaries, I always loose track of where I am. I'm trying to tell a story here dammit!

So, the summer of love…road tripping to NY… three club shows and a radio gig… Sounds like bunch of movie titles doesn't it? Ha, well it's not, it's just another diary entry, just another exercise in written self therapy… or whatever…

The radio gig was pretty uneventful. I guess it's best described as one of those outdoor music festival kind of events. We had been promised sunshine and 24 hours of fabulous live music but we ended up having to suffer through several hours of rough weather and horrendously bad pop acts before it was time for Edward and Jasper to enter the stage. They did a set of three song and as usual they kicked some serious ass. What a performance, but oh so short...

The third club show took us back to 'Forever Dawn' again, where Edward was scheduled to be the support act for some boy-band-member-gone-solo punk. I couldn't have cared less for the boybander, but by some random stroke of luck I had managed to score VIP tickets and backstage passes through a MySpace contest.

The backstage reception went by in a blur and the meet and greet session was, as expected really, really cheesy and boring. The boybander was about as charming as a brick, had as much personality as a cabbage, and was so hungover that I wanted to puke every time I saw - err…smelled- him.

I had hoped that Edward would pass through the backstage area to get to the changing rooms, but he never showed. I wasn't too disappointed, though, because me and Maria had a plan…

Remember those shiny VIP tickets? Maria reckoned we could get close enough to the stage to be able to capture a certain guitar-boy's attention. We made a sign, big bright letters on a pristine purple background, spelling out a proposition so blunt that he would have to be both blind and stupid not get the message…. I remember how…. I know…Fuck, my eyes are closing on me…

I guess that's what you get when you give up on your uppers. Even caffeine pills are a luxury I cant afford these days.…

Bedtime… More later….promise…

Love always,  
Angela Cullen

-

AN: So, Edward finally remembers something... Also, just to give you the heads up, he wasn't drugged. Carlisle will set the record straight on that one...

I'm obviously not a medical expert so I hope you can overlook if I've gotten the medical stuff wrong.

Speaking of which, someone asked how far along Bella is. She fell pregnant the very last week of august. The start date for this story was in November and now we're somewhere around mid December… that makes her *counts backwards* somewhere around 15 weeks along… She should be showing by now, right? I know it's different for everyone. A friend of a friend managed to pull of a wedding at 16 weeks without anyone knowing the happy couple had a baby on the way… or maybe it was just me who was clueless ;)


	15. Chapter 14 When it rains, it pours

**Chapter 14 - When it rains, it pours.**

It was raining and freezing cold outside. The short walk from the parking lot was anything but pleasant. It left him soaked to the skin and chilled to the bone. The dark, miserable weather fit perfectly with the mood he was in.

Closing the door behind him, Edward stepped into the dense blanket of darkness that covered almost the entire cabin. He fumbled for the light switch, but couldn't find it. He took another few steps inside and tripped over something that fell over and scattered across the floor.

The response was immediate and came in the form of swiftly approaching footsteps. A shadowy figure appeared before him and then there was light...

"Jeez, Edward, wake the whole neighborhood why don't you!" Bella exclaimed with a fierce scowl.

"Would it have hurt to leave a few lights on?" he countered, as he stepped out of his shoes and began peeling his wet jacket off his shoulders.

"I can't sleep if it's not dark." Her hands were on her hips, and she had her 'don't mess with me' look on her face. "Besides it's late. What did you expect, that I would greet you with open arms and a candle-lit-dinner?"

"Why not? That would have been nice. I've had a really shitty day! First the kiddo wonked his head, and then I got food thrown at me. Some obnoxiously demanding woman thought it was a good idea to pass out right at my feet. Anthony thought it was a good idea to barf on my shoes. Alice thought it was a good idea to run away and join the circus. On top of everything else, I just made my momma cry, which automatically means I'm biggest asshole in the world."

He heard Bella let out a muffled snort that sounded suspiciously like a suppressed snicker. A glance her way showed that she was in fact having trouble keeping a straight face.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh at my misery, you heartless woman," he grumbled, rubbing up and down his arms to get some heat back into them.

"Sorry, but it's a bit hard to take you seriously when you look like a drenched rat."

"Yeah, well in case you haven't noticed it's raining outside. Man, even the weather is against me tonight."

"When it rains it pours, haven't you heard? Now is that food you got there?" Bella interrupted him, eyeing the plastic grocery bag at his feet. "Where on earth did you find a store open this time of night?"

"I didn't. I just drove aimlessly for a while to clear my head," he said, taking the bag off the floor, carrying it into the kitchenette area. "I ended up at a gas station with a 24-hour mini-mart. I would have been back sooner, but there is something seriously wrong with that car. The transmission is completely screwed up."

He heard her snort at him again. "Gee, you think so? Maybe it is the driver that is a complete screw up?"

"Touché Swan, Touché... At least I brought home some food. That has to count for something. There is coffee, a gallon of milk, a loaf of bread, and peanut butter. They didn't have any protein shakes, sorry. You'll have to survive without them for a day or two."

"I don't suppose you found any chocolate?"

"Eight pints of Chocolate Brownie ice cream. You have to share with the kiddo, but it should be enough to get us through the week."

"Great! Only one problem. How do you plan on storing eight pints of ice cream, when you don't have a freezer?"

"No freezer!"

"Nope," she shook her head and opened the refrigerator to show him. "There is a freezer compartment in here, but I doubt it is big enough to fit all that ice cream."

"Is that a challenge?" Edward asked, walking up behind her to peer over her shoulder. "I've been told I have a talent for fitting big things in small places."

"Whoa, keep it in your pants, mister!" Bella closed the door with a slam. "You're not THAT talented."

Edward arched an eyebrow. "Never heard any complaints before. The last time around you see..."

"Not this again!" She stopped him with a hand on his arm. "We were never a good fit, you and me. Every time we spend more than a few days in each other's company, we get into rip roaring arguments."

"That's what keeps it interesting," Edward shot back without missing a beat, his lips curving in a sly smile. He stepped closer, and she answered by immediately taking a step back. He cocked his head. "On one hand you irk me to no end, but on the other hand our...what did you call them... rip roaring arguments... make me forget time and space. And quite frankly, I wouldn't mind some distraction right about now."

"So you keep me around for distraction? Gee, you sure know how to make a girl feel special."

"You don't need me to tell you that you're special. You know you are," he told her, his voice low and liquid.

He took another step forward, cornering her, invading her space and her thoughts. Her arms were between them, crossed over her midsection, but he still managed to get a lot closer than she was comfortable with. In fact, she could practically feel the warmth radiating off his body; a stark contrast to the stainless steel exterior of the fridge that she was backed up against.

Normally Bella prided herself on her control. She was a trained professional who knew how to act in a crisis. Unfortunately, her hard-won skills seemed to have deserted her for the moment. His face was already inching closer. It was just a matter of time before his lips would claim hers. She knew it as surely as she knew the sun would rise in the morning, yet she didn't turn away. She didn't push him back or even flick an eye.

Looking into that oh-so-gorgeous face, she steeled herself against the inevitable and let him kiss her, thinking to herself that she could handle it, that she could handle him. What harm could one kiss do? Just a brushing of lips...no tongues...no feelings. But even as she thought it, she knew she was lying to herself.

When his tongue probed her lips, not asking, but demanding entry, she gave it without hesitation. He'd always been a good kisser, and this was in no way a tentative kiss. It was a kiss that claimed and marked. It was a kiss that promised torn clothes and hot-messy-kitchen-sex rather than hand holding and whispered sweetness.

When he finally pulled away, he rubbed his nose against hers and grinned. "Distraction of the best kind. Wouldn't you agree?"

Her heart was thumping hard, and her entire body was trembling from it. But she would never let him see that; could not afford to let him see that. Instead she snapped, "Distraction is not always the answer." She wiped her lips with the back of her hand, as if she found the lingering taste of him offensive.

"Is that so?" He watched her for a moment before dipping his head again, this time to take a playful nibble out of her throat. It was a lovely, sexy little nibble that made her knees go weak and a delicious heat rise from a point slightly higher.

Her hands instinctively reached up between them to press against his chest. She wasn't sure if she was trying to push him away or pull him closer, and Edward smirked at her when he pulled back. Damn it! She scowled at him, and his smirk widened.

"I keep pushing your buttons, and you keep coming back for more," he chuckled, letting one hand slide up to caress the side of her breast through the T-shirt she was wearing. "And you can't tell me you don't love it," he teased, brushing his thumb over what appeared to be an already pebble-hard nipple.

No, she couldn't deny the electricity that ran coursed through her body at that very moment. Couldn't deny it, couldn't hide it. He obviously had a point there, but he didn't have to be so damned smug about it. At times, she thought Edward was a relatively decent human being. At other times, she was convinced he was a jerk who thrived on making her life miserable. The real issue, though, was that most of the time she found him so damned attractive she could barely think straight. Damn him!

"Forget it," she shook her head to clear some of the fog from it and said more strongly. "This ends here and now!"

"You sure?" he asked, his hands skimming across her back, dropping down to the curve of her bottom with the intent of pulling her closer, no doubt.

Instinctively and almost violently, she twisted in his arms, using her hip to shield herself from his advances. "I'm serious! Lack of chemistry has never been our problem, but just because it feels good doesn't make it right."

"Why not?" he challenged. "If it feels good, why not just 'go with it?'"

Yeah, why the hell not? A little voice in the back of her mind whispered. Because then he'd know. The more logical part of her mind reminded her. He isn't stupid, one look and he'd know.

She knew she was treading on dangerous grounds. If she let him get too close, if she let him have his way with her, he was bound to notice, bound to figure out the secret she'd been keeping from him. The secret she had planned to keep from him for an indefinite period of time. In that brief moment, she realized that she actually wanted him to know, she wanted him to know and be okay with it. Unfortunately, though, this was neither the time nor the place to let a 'bomb' of that size and magnitude, drop. Sadly, that meant there would be no hot-messy-kitchen-sex happening anytime soon...

Bella clung to the fridge door to stay upright. She needed to compose herself. He was only a man, like any other. Well, maybe not like any other...Uggh, she needed to put some space between them, she needed to regroup. Hell, she wasn't precisely sure what exactly she needed to find the strength to walk away from him. What she got, though, was exactly what she didn't need - the unmistakable physical evidence of his arousal rubbing up against her thigh intimately.

Later, when she looked back at that moment, she wasn't sure if her erratic behavior was due to raging hormones, overwhelming excitement, or some sort of temporary insanity. Either way her response had been immediate and forceful.

To hell with caution! If Edward wanted distraction then distraction was what he'd get!

...

Those eyes, those lips...

Edward lost track of time, lost track of everything, but the sweet sensation of arousal that grew within him.

Like always, he had little to no restraint when it came to Bella. He wasn't even sure why he had started it. He had only meant to take her down a few notches. He hadn't planned to kiss her, it just sort of happened, and now he was struggling with an all consuming need to touch her, to taste her, to love her with, his lips, mouth and hands.

Edward couldn't help himself; he couldn't keep his hands off her. She was wearing a pair of oversized track pants and a baggy t-shirt that had a high neckline - that could not be described as provocative by any stretch of the imagination. But she wasn't wearing a bra, and he could feel her nipples clearly through the layers of clothing separating them. Her breasts were begging for his attention.

He hesitated for about half a second, but his body was moving faster than his brain and his hands were already travelling over the topography of her chest. She had more curves than he remembered...but in a good way...no, a great way, he decided as his hands cupped the swellings of her breasts through her t-shirt.

In between kissing, groping, breathing and everything else, Bella, bless her heart, still managed to throw in a few half hearted protests. Her actions contradicted her words, though, so he didn't take her protests all too serious. A mistake on his part.

One minute he was being groped and kissed by an Amazon, the next she pulled some fancy martial art move on him that put him in a wrist lock.

Dang, she was good at that - he never even saw it coming.

"Hey!" he yelped in surprise. "You sure know how to give a guy a heart attack! A simple 'not today honey, I have a headache' would have worked just fine."

"I just wanted to make sure I had your full attention," she pulled back a bit and waited for him to catch his breath. "I don't want you to misunderstand me, Edward. I do want you... right here, right now," she informed him bluntly. "But if we do this, it has got to be on my terms."

He tested her grip on his wrist with a little tug, to no avail; his right arm was still twisted painfully behind his back.

"Are you listening?" Bella asked impatiently, tightening her grip.

A howl of pain escaped his lips...or was it one of pleasure? He wasn't sure. The raw strength of this woman turned him on more than he ever thought possible.

"I can list several good reasons why we shouldn't be doing this. My strongest argument is the child sleeping in the room next door. My terms or not at all! Do you understand?"

Edward's only respond was a nod, his mood turning visibly more somber at the mention of Anthony.

"The lights stay out, as many articles of clothing as possible must stay on, and it has to be done quietly, alright?"

"Dark, quiet, and semi clothed, got it. Just one question, am I to be tied up and thrown onto the kitchen table?"

He felt Bella smile against his neck. It made him tingle all over.

"I'm just wondering because I don't think my back will survive that."

"You, me, and a quickie against the kitchen counter," she whispered, her tongue twirling on the folds of his ear. "Doggy style..."

And just like that, the tingling stopped, only to be replaced by a full head-to-toe body shiver. Now there was a suggestion worthy of standing ovations.

Bella laid out her terms, and Edward accepted without even a flicker of hesitation.

Being quiet wasn't really in his nature. The logistics of having sex in a confined space was a hassle, and rather than mounting from behind in the ancestral way, he would have preferred to go about it face to face. But hey, this was pretty hot too... in a raw, primal sort of way.

She had him fetch her a pillow, because apparently he wasn't the only one with back issues. Any other time he would have questioned her about it, but all rational thought was lost somewhere in the image of her bending over before him with her gray sweatpants pushed halfway down her thighs.

He drank in the sight of the soft flesh of her exposed buttocks with greedy eyes, as his partial erection grew to its utter fullness.

Needless to say his pants and boxers were dropped in record time.

Protection, must not forget protection He wobbled like a penguin, as he fumbled to retrieve the emergency condom he kept in his wallet. Only he couldn't find it...

It HAD to be one in there. Counting backwards in his head, he quickly came to the conclusion that it had been forever since the last time he had stocked up on those fuckers. Yiikes, when had he become so careless? One paternity test experience was more than enough!

...

Bella could hear the unzipping of his pants and the clink of his belt hitting the floor. Then there was a rustle of clothes followed by cursing, lots of cursing...

Cursing?

He better not be having second thoughts! She felt a surge of conflicting emotions at that thought - surprise, annoyance, frustration, and most damning, disappointment.

She dared a glance over her shoulder just in time to see him retrieve a rectangular foil package from the depths of his wallet.

"No worries, I found it," he exclaimed triumphantly, his eyes glittering in the faint light. "I don't need another kid on my conscience! Not now... not for a very, VERY long time...if ever..."

Bella's heart constricted tightly in her chest as she watched him unroll the condom. It wasn't like she hadn't guessed how he felt on the subject, but it was still painful to hear. Her mind immediately wandered in places she'd rather it not have gone.

Lost in her anguish, she missed the hand that moved briefly over her exposed backside, coming to rest on the small of her back. She missed the tug on her hips; she missed the initial skin-on-skin contact and how snugly he fitted himself against the curve of her back.

What brought her back to reality with a startled yelp, were the fingers that found their way into her most private of areas.

Before she could really grasp what was happening, his fingers were moving in rapid circles over and around her swollen clit.

It felt so wrong... and it felt so right! It felt very much like what she had been craving since the moment he had kissed her, but in truth, it was entirely different from how she had envisioned it.

He was fingering her and he was doing it well. Her hormones were all over the place, as were her thoughts. She moaned in agonized bliss as his spare hand found her tender breasts and fondled them roughly.

Edward clearly didn't understand the definition of a quickie, because he sure took his sweet time with the foreplay. Not that she was complaining. By the time he nudged her legs apart and pushed himself into her glistening sex, she was so wet and so thoroughly worked up, that any conflicting thought she might have had was long gone.

"Darlin'... if this gets uncomfortable..." Edward kissed her neck - his mouth open, his teeth scrapping along her fair skin "...or if this doesn't hit the spots for you, tell me. And, we'll try something else."

She mewed in response, pressing her backside into his groin. Edward took that as an encouragement to bury himself fully in the surging heat of her hot, moist core.

Their movements were erratic, frenzied, at first, but soon enough they managed to establish a rhythm that propelled them both into heights of pleasure that they only ever experienced with each other.

Neither one of them lasted long, their bodies reacting to each other in the same way they had since the very beginning.

They were good together. For whatever reason, the two of them worked, even though they shouldn't.

...

AN:So, was it steamy enough for the wait? Let me know what you think!


	16. Chapter15 Morning after the night before

**Chapter 15 - The morning after the night before**

.

'Car keys, must find car keys.'

Bella let herself into the room, careful not to wake anyone.

The light was sparse, but she easily spied the two sleeping forms on the bottom bunk bed from the doorway.

The two of them looked remarkably similar when they slept; both with their mouths agape and completely sprawled out like a starfish.

She tried to ignore the feeling that was creeping up on her… but it didn't work. She recognized it as a strange twinge of jealousy, strange because she had no idea what had brought it on. She certainly wasn't jealous of the boy for getting to snuggle with Edward. No, that was not it.

The crying child had been a welcome interruption, one that effectively put a stop to any plans Edward might have had of engaging in post coital cuddle or pillow talk. Not that she didn't enjoy a good cuddle after sex, but she knew from experience that he tended to be very 'handsy' and needy of closeness afterwards. One hand in the wrong place and she'd have a helluva lot to explain.

The bump was noticeable now. Usually, she hid it behind layers of clothes, but another couple of weeks and it would be impossible to miss.

Just then, Anthony made loud gasping sounds in his sleep that sounded like something between a hiccup and a sob. Bella watched heart in throat as Edward instinctively, still fast asleep, tucked the child further into the crook of his arm.

The sight was sweet, but painful at the same time. Edward might not have accepted his new role in life yet, but that boy was already under his skin. She realized as she watched them that right there was what her jealousy stemmed from; their obvious sense of belonging. And it wasn't a new thing, either. She had always been envious of Edward and his sibling for their close family ties. They shared bonds stronger than blood, genes and bone structure. Unplanned or not, she already knew without a doubt that the Cullen's would have no trouble welcoming Anthony into their family.

Bella could only hope her own family would be half as accepting.

She had given herself until the holidays to tell Renee about her pregnancy. She figured her best option was to wait until they were all gathered for Christmas dinner; Renee, Phil and Phil's family. The more, the merrier, right? She knew Renee was less likely to cause a scene with her mother-in-law in the room. It also helped knowing that Phil and Renee were planning on leaving for Europe come boxing day. Her mother would have plenty of time too cool of before she had to deal with her again.

Charlie was next on her list. She'd visit him in his nursing home in Florida over New Year. Telling her father was more of a formality than anything else. Whatever his reaction to the news would be, he would most likely have forgotten about it by the next time she spoke with him.

There were days when he was completely lucid and others when he succumbed to bouts of delirium, and would ramble on and on about things that made no sense to Bella, or anyone else for that matter. Even though her father's body wasn't a year older than 62, his mind was lost in a world of hallucinations and old memories.

And then there was Edward… She knew she really should tell him about her pregnancy. She knew it really wasn't faire to rob her unborn child of the experience of having two loving parents over something as silly as wounded pride. She had to admit that her initial decision to not tell him had been both selfish and childish. Every child should have the right to know its parents no matter what the circumstances.

With impeccable timing Anthony choose that moment to make another discontented sound in his sleep. His little brows furrowed and his nose scrunched up as if he'd just tasted something extremely sour, but then he relaxed again and Bella wondered, briefly if the boy was as prone to nightmares, as she knew his father was.

The little boy was of course another aspect that needed to be brought into the equation. She would never forgive herself if she in any way damaged the fragile bond that Anthony had formed with his father.

It was plain obvious that Edward was still struggling with how to feel and how to act towards his newly discovered son. His heart wasn't in it yet. She had no doubt he'd make great father some day, but just like the little boy needed time to acclimate himself, Edward needed time to work through his anger and resent. The term baby steps had never seemed more fitting.

Problem was that she was running out of time. Her secret was of the fast growing kind and she needed to tell Edward soon, before he found out on his own… or even worse, found out from someone else.

The plain truth was that she wanted to hear him say that he wanted a future with her before she sprung another baby on him. She didn't want the baby to be the only reason why they gave it another try. She wanted him to want her.

Was that weak? Was that stupid? Propably, but she'd seriously hate to end up becoming an obligation and a burden. That prospect was almost as bad as a total rejection.

With renewed determination she concentrated on the task at hand; avoiding the awkward morning-after-confrontation by finding the car keys and getting out of the cabin before Edward woke up.

The best thing she could do for everyone involved was to focus on locating Anthony's mother. Abandoning a child was unforgivable, but the boy still deserved a chance to grow up with both parents in his life. And if she succeeded; no when she succeeded in finding this woman, Edward would finally get a chance to get the answers he deserved.

She wanted him to have that. She wanted him to have closure and permanent custody of the boy that she knew was already under his skin, if not in his heart.

If she could help him with that, if she could help him to come to terms with the circumstances surrounding the conception of his firstborn child, then hopefully he would be a lot more reasonable when it came to dealing with the impending birth of his second child.

Was that wishful thinking? Was she delusional? Probably, but it was the only plan she could think of.

.  
...

.

Even though he was fast asleep, he was still somehow strangely aware of his of the surroundings; the bed, the room, the darkness. He was aware of the looming shadow in the periphery of the room and the alien set of eyes burning into him. The feeling of being watched was imminent. It tugged on his sleep addled mind for attention, yet he couldn't force himself to wake up.

About three things he was absolutely positive: First, his body was sluggish and unresponsive for a reason. Second, his clothes were askew, missing even. And third, there was a camera on a tripod recording his every move.

He tried to move, but a weight against his chest held him back, held him down and no amount of resistance eased the pressure. Fear ripped through his guts.

A thick voice slurred into his ears. It sounded familiar, but he couldn't decipher the words, they were all jumbled and echoing inside his ears and brain. Soon there were more voices calling out to him; begging to be heard, demanding to be obeyed.

Then something shifted. Shapes and colors flashed behind the darkness of his eyelids. The room was no longer a room. Instead, he found himself sitting in what appeared to be the front seat of a car and he wasn't alone…. Hands were on his chest, pushing, pressing, wanting something from him, something he couldn't give.

He felt trapped. He couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't breathe. He was suffocating, he needed air, he would die, he...

Edward woke with a sharp jerk. Gasping for breath and covered in sweat, he opened his eyes only to realize that the hands and the weight on his chest belonged to a sleeping Anthony, who was clinging to his shirt. Everything else, the camera, the voices, the car, he quickly chalked up to a nightmare and a particular lucid one at that.

He had been plagued with different variations of the same dream for years. The choking sensation was a new addition, though, as was the car sequence. He wasn't sure what to make of it all, but what he did know was that trying to go back to sleep would be an exercise in idiocy, so instead of even trying he carefully maneuvered himself out of bed and started his day early.

.  
...

"Come on, spill the beans! Why are you calling?" Emmett's voice was annoyed, but not without humor as he probed his brother for information. "Is this about the kid? Is this about Anthony?

"No. I don't want to talk about THAT! I'm so sick and tired of talking about THAT!"

"Okay, so what is it then? Girl trouble?" Emmett guessed somewhat correctly, but Edward chose not to take the bait.

"You're the one that's been texting me non stop for the last four days and now that I actually have time to talk…."

"Seriously Eddie, what's this about? It's seven-thirty in the morning and you never call just to chat."

"Seriously Emmy, " he mimicked, using the nickname his brother loathed "I didn't realize I needed a reason to speak with you."

"If you insist on phoning me at the crack of dawn you most certainly do. I don't mind having my morning interrupted, but your nephew gets über cranky if he misses out on his sleep… the same goes for my darling wife."

"Please, I can in no way be held responsible for your wife's mood swings. She has you by the balls and you wouldn't want it any other way…. " Edward sniggered, unable to resist making another jibe.

"You're just jealous that my balls are getting more action than yours."

"Hardly, I wouldn't want Rosalie anywhere near my balls," Edward snorted. "Look, I forgot about the time difference, alright? I didn't realize Elliott wasn't up yet. How's he doing by the way? I bet the itching must be getting pretty bad by now?"

"What itching?" his brother deadpanned.

"No itching? Well, congratulations! It sound's like you might just survive after all. But seriously you do know it's highly contagious, right?"

"Contentious? Oh, you're talking about Elliott's rash… err… Chicken pox…"

"What else would I be talking about?"

"I don't know. It's early and I just woke up…. " Emmett let out a loud yawn as if to prove the truth of his statement.

"Little E is fine at the moment, snoring like a lawn mover, but at least he's sleeping and not using our bed as his personal trampoline."

"And that's good?" Edward replied with uncertainty. "Sound's to me like he's not quite his usual self!"

"Everything is peachy, he just needs his rest, that's all. With a sick child it's more about clinging than it is about jumping, which I'm sure you'll find out for yourself soon enough"

"Great! You're such a source of knowledge. Any more wisdoms you want to share? Edward grumbled into the phone. "This is me being sarcastic, if you can't tell."

"Seriously, Edward, I know you're not thrilled about the idea of becoming a dad overnight, but Elliott is going to be stoked when he finds out he has a cousin. And while we're on the subject, where is the boy wonder? He's obviously awake or you wouldn't be up at this ungawdly hour. Is he there? Can I speak to him?"

"No, you can NOT speak to him. The only reason you even know about his existence is because Alice has a big mouth." Edward gritted out the words through clenched teeth.

"Come on, I just want to say 'hello'. I'm good with kids, you know."

"You'd only scare him. The boy is confused as it is. Besides right now he's watching TV and is actually being both quiet and still for a change."

"I've heard you've got your hands full. I've heard he's got your short temper and moody ways down to a tee. Karma is a bitch eh, Edward?"

"Yeah, well this isn't the first time that karma has screwed me over."

"Right, and you're not melodramatic at all. Speaking of melodramatic, I've also heard you haven't spoken to Carlisle and Esme yet. What's up with that?"

"That's not true. I actually had a rather lengthy conversation with them over the phone last night."

"Really? How did that go?"

"It went bloody fantastic…. NOT! You do not want to discuss the gory details of your sex life with the people that raised you, especially if it involves random hookups and drunken one night stands. Trust me on that one."

"Okay, I'll take your word for it. Your love life has always been a bit of a disaster area. There ought to be big orange cones all around you."

"Gee thanks! Now remind me again why I tell you anything?"

"That's just it. You never tell me anything, "Emmett whined into the phone. "Take this conversation we're having right now for example… I've prodded and I've pried, but not one mention of Special Agent Swan thus far and I'm seriously dying to find out how that's going."

"How what's going?"

"Come on, you know what I'm talking about. I want a progress report. It' know you're still hot for her."

Edward sighed long and loud. "I swear sometimes you're worse than Alice."

"And yet it's me you call in the wee hours of the morning when you need to went." Emmett quipped back without missing a beat. Then he seemed to have an epiphany. "Aha, I knew it! There is a reason for this call after all… Something that you're not comfortable discussing with Alice, something that involves a certain Isabella Swan…."

"And you think I'd discuss something like that with you?"

"So you admit there is something, then? Spit it out already. You know you want to tell me. "

"No, I've changed my mind. I don't wanna talk about it."

"Come on, you can tell me... Are you having dirty thoughts about her handcuffs again? Or is it her the gun holster that's got you all hot and bothered?"

"You're clearly lost all grip of reality, so I'm going to ignore everything you just said."

"You slept with her again, didn't you?"

"I don't wanna talk about it."

"Yes you do, otherwise you wouldn't have called."

The phone line hummed with silence for a moment.

"Fine, I slept with her. Happy now?"

"It depends, are you going to give me some details?"

"No. It happened last night and it was a complete disaster! That's all you need to know."

"That bad, eh?"

"Not the sex… that was not the disastrous part. It's the aftermath that's been a complete mess The kid woke up and walked right into the kitchen while we…eh…It's not been a good morning, alright!"

"Hold up! First of all, did you just say you did it in the kitchen? No wonder it was messy! And secondly, the tiny tod woke up while you were still going at it?"

"No, no, no! I mean, technically yes… but no…were sort of already… eh done... if you know what I mean…," Edward paused and frowned. "We sort of, accidentally, knocked the coffee maker off the counter. It tipped over and fell and the crash was loud enough to wake the dead…"

"…or in this case the sleeping child," Emmett chuckled.

"Talk about mood killer. Instead of spending the night in the arms of a beautiful woman, I feel asleep with a cranky toddler crawling all over me. And that's not even the worst part… Get this, when I woke up about an hour ago she was gone!"

"Gone?"

"Gone as in AWOL. Both her and the rental car is missing."

"Dude, it's still early. She probably just went out to get some breakfast, or something, seeing as the coffee maker is out of commission and all. Has she left anything behind? Is her stuff still around?"

"Eh…yeah… not all her things, but some of them… Her computer is gone, but her overnight bag is till here. "

"Then there you go. I bet she'll be back before lunchtime. Unless, of course, you lied about the fab sex part and the whole thing was more like a complete disaster."

"No, it was pretty darn…. " Edward exhaled sharply and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Wait you're not tricking me into giving you any more details. It was good alright! That's all I have to say about it!"

"Hurricane Edward strikes again! Were are those orange cones when you need them…"

"Not funny! I knew I shouldn't have told you anything. I'm hanging up right now!" Edward took the phone away from his ear.

"Wait!"

"What?"

"Before you hang up, don't you want to know why I called?" his brother asked innocently.

"What are you talking about? You didn't call me, I called you."

"Details, details… I would have called, but you beat me to it. I have a message to pass on to you."

"If this is another stab at my disastrous sex-life, I don't want to hear it!"

"You want to hear this. Trust me. I have managed to track down Jankowski for you."

There was silence for a moment. Then, Edward said, "Jared Jankowski, the flutist?"

"Yeah, Alice gave me a rundown of what information you give the police and I recognized the name. He's the only one of the studio musicians you named that originates from the Seattle area. It also helps that he has a brother that's about my age that I know from football camps and what not. Anyway, I spoke briefly to this Jared fellow last night to see if he remembered hearing anything about a swanky birthday bash around Mars 2007… That was the date, right?"

"Right. So what did he say?"

"He couldn't recall any parties or nightclub outings that involved an open bar."

"That's what I've said all along. It doesn't fit."

"Hush, I'm not done yet… He knew nothing about a birthday party, but he did have one interesting tidbit to share. Apparently there was this one time, this one morning when you failed to show up on time for your recording session. When you finally got there, more that three hours late, you looked like something not even the cat would have dragged in. When asked about it, you cited food poisoning as the rea-… "

"No, not food poisoning," Edward cut in before his brother could finish his sentence. "I probably told them I'd had an allergic shock reaction, which by the way is true, Carlisle can vouch for that."

"You're talking about that time Peter had to rush you to the ER because your face swelled up to the size of a soccer ball? I bet you didn't know I knew about thet?"

"What? That was Peter?" he questioned sharply. "Are you sure? I could have sworn it was Jasper. I mean I know Jasper wasn't even in this part of the country at the time, but still…"

"Nope, you got the wrong Whitlock. It was cousin Pete. Esme told Rosie all about it, to make her feel better when she was preggers and her feet swelled up so bad that she had to cut her socks off. "

"That's crazy! The feet thing I mean, well actually the Pete thing as well. I haven't spoken to him in years. He's been on the road doing his DJ thing for as long as I can remember. But then again my memory is all whacked up. For some strange reason it's Jaspers ugly mug that keeps popping into my mind whenever I think of that trip to the ER."

"Maybe your mind is trying to subconsciously tell you something. Maybe your memory is all whacked up, because you don't want to remember. Maybe it's like a defense mechanism or something… It gives you something to ponder about, ey?"

Edward ignored the urge to bang his head against the nearest wall, but just barely. It wasn't the first time Emmett had turned all Dr. Phil on him. It was annoying as hell, especially since he couldn't dismiss it as complete rubbish.

"Can you get Peter's number from Jasper?" He sighed, rubbing his templates.

"Sure thing bro! Last I heard he was heading for Ibiza, though… or was it Mallorca? So it might be difficult to get a hold of him."

"I'm used to difficult. Difficult and I are long time buddies."

The day just barely begun, and Edward already had quite the headache… not to mention stiff muscles and a sore back.


	17. Chapter 16 Clueing in the Clueless

**Chapter 16 - Clueing in the Clueless**

**.  
**

"No can do." The uniform clad security guard shook his head. "I'm sorry sir, but I'm not allowed to disclose that kind of information. It is our policy to protect the confidentiality of our guests."

Edward nearly gritted his teeth in frustration. "This is ridiculous! I'm the paying customer, she's merely a guest, a tag along," he exclaimed and bounced Anthony over to his other hip. "I just want to know what time she left. She was driving a rental, a Toyota IQ. It was parked in the third row, second space from the right."

The man looked him up and down. "Is the car rented in your name? Do you have a signed receipt?"

"No, all the papers are in the car!... and the car is gone… I parked it here last night and now it's gone."

"If you believe that your vehicle has been stolen, you need to report it stolen promptly. I can get the police on the phone for you."

"Nothing has been stolen." Edward sighed, tightening his grip on Anthony who was wiggling to be set down on the ground. "I don't care about the car, but my friend took off rather abruptly and now I can't get a reach of her."

"I'm sorry, but I can't help you."

"You can, but you won't is more like it," Edward muttered sourly. "Look, even if I did call the police, there isn't much information I could give them. I don't even know the license plate number."

"That, sir, is not my problem."

Edward closed his eyes, slowly counting to ten in his mind. "Is there anything I could do to make you change your mind?"

"Right now… no… but I might consider reconsidering once I get out of this uniform," the guard replied, rubbing his index finger and thumb together in the universal sign for money.

"When does your shift end?"

"In 15 minutes."

.

.oOo...

.

Edward was fuming and it wasn't over the money he was about to throw away.

No, this was all about the findings he'd made in the cabin before storming off to look for the car again for the umpteen time that day.

When the clock had struck twelve and his so called 'fiancée' was still nowhere to be found, he had made the decision to search trough her belongings in hope of finding a note or something that could tell him where she might have disappeared to. But what he had found was something else entirely.

Pill bottles. Two of them. One unlabeled, the other one had a label, but big portions of the text had been crossed over with a black pen. What was left were the words vitamins, film coated tablets and then the dosage.

Was she lying about her health status again? Had she not learned anything? He knew she was pushing to get her status as a field agent reinstated, but to accomplish that she needed a clean bill of health. He'd seen her faint, he had seen her face turn white and clammy more than once. She had taken a nasty blow to her head mere months ago. Could she be suffering from residual neurological defects? The more he though about it, the more it made sense. Her appetite was not what it should be. She barely touched her food, unless you counted those protein shakes she kept downing. Normally she ate like a horse and exercised on a daily basis. He hadn't seen her take off for a jog or visit the gym even once this past few days. Instead she kept her physical activities to a minimum and she took naps with Anthony in the afternoons. She claimed it was because she liked to keep late hours, but now he was beginning to suspect that she was trying to mask that she was plagued with headaches. She was definitely hiding something. Why else would she keep her medication in non descript pill bottles, like that? Had she not learned anything from her past mistakes?

To say that Edward was fuming was an understatement as he crossed the tennis court behind the parking lot, and started up the hill toward the cluster of buildings tucked away amid the shrubbery and pines.

His pace was quick, too quick for his companion.

"Come here buddy." Edward held his hand out for Anthony who was lagging behind.

"I swing and slide."

"I know kiddo, but you've got to hold on to my hand. I know I said we could go to the playground, but I need to go get my wallet first."

"I play." Anthony whined as Edward tugged at his hand.

"In a minute."

Anthony's frown was set deep as he glared up at Edward. "Lator?"

"Yes, I promise I'll take you there later." He nudged the kid to go, but Anthony wouldn't budge.

"No, now!"

"Don't give me a hard time now, Anthony,'' he said, his voice rising in pitch with each word. `This isn't the time for it.''

Anthony's bottom lip began to quiver. "I play"

"I'm sorry, I can't let you wander off on your own. You'll have to come with me." He held out his hand again.

"No."

"Yes. I'm not fooling around here."

Having reached the limit of his patience, Edward lifted the child off the ground with an iron grip around his shoulders.

"Done like you," the toddler declared sullenly, and began struggling against his restraints.

"That's all right, I don't like you much right now either." Edward grumbled under his breath and winced as Anthony's kicking feet connected with his chest.

Without giving it much thought he hoisted the boy over his shoulder and carried him like a sack of wheat the rest of the way to their cabin. He may have used a little more force than necessary because when he sat him down on the porch steps the boy immediately threw himself on the ground and curled up into the tiniest ball he could make.

Edward swore inwardly and then knelt down to the boy's level. "I'm sorry, did I scare you? Come here! I'm not… I'm not mad."

The boy sniffled, but remained motionless.

"I'm sorry I raised my voice. Yelling is bad, I wont do it again."

This time Anthony rolled his head to the side to eye him with big cautious eyes, but he still said nothing.

"I bet you're hungry. We haven't even had lunch yet." Pulling a Snickers bar out of his pocket Edward tore the wrapper off with his teeth the and held it out where the child could see it.

"Do you want it?" Edward asked, purposely dangling the peace offering a little closer to him. "You can have it, if you promise to sit here while I go inside and get my wallet."

The boy uncurled slowly, pushing himself up onto his knees. "I have?"

"Yes, you can have it. I'm going to go inside and I need you to sit here and wait for a minute, okay?"

"Kay," Anthony replied with another sniffle, reaching for the chocolate bar.

Edward rose to his feet. "Stay put, stay out of trouble and I'll be right back!"

He didn't plan to be gone more than two minutes tops, but asking a two year old to stay out of trouble was like asking a cat to ignore a bird in a cage two feet away and when he came back out on the porch the boy was nowhere to be found.

"Oh, great," he groaned when he realized his mistake. "This is turning out to be a really, really shitty day."

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.oOo...

.

Dearest diary, it has been ages since I dropped a note. But what is there to report? My life, one shitty day after another. Time seems to be dragging by extra slow at the moment. Good news is that I've lost the baby weight-and then some. The bad news is that Anthony has a week stomach and shitloads of allergies and hasn't taken to solid food particularly well yet. I had been hoping to have him weaned off the milk by now, but no such luck. How am I supposed to accomplish anything with an effing baby clamped to my tit?

Soon, though… soon I'll have my mobility back and when I do, I'll go after what's rightfully mine.

Speaking of which, I believe I was about to pen down how my road trip with Maria ended. The last NY show we went to was great fun. Ah, the memories…. It was an intimate, tiny, club gig, yet the crowd was noisier and more vivid than at the previous shows we'd been to, all thanks to the main act; the former boy-bander and his entourage of screaming, salivating, panty-throwing teenage girls.

Of course, looking back I realize Maria and I, were just as bad as those annoying fan-girls. We drank ourselves silly and then we gawked and squealed like the best of them. To our defense, it was our last night of freedom before getting back to the grindstone. Subsequently it was also my last chance to learn more about the guy that had become the light in my boring and mundane existence… Meaning I was dead determined on getting further than exchanging a few polite phrases with him this time.

I have to admit I was a little bit disappointed in Maria for not having scored guitar boy's phone number. She gave him a bj for f** sake. Did she not deserve a little something in return? Apparently not… as he had made no mention of wanting to meet up with her again.

This called for some creative planning… Actually what it called for was a more aggressive approach, which is why I helped Maria write some rather suggestively worded banner-signs-thingys to bring to the gig. Not that I had much experience in that particular area, but from what I had gathered no guy would turn down a sure thing when offered correctly. Subtle never got anyone anywhere.

The first sign read 'My breasts are heavy, will you hold them for a while?'. Innocent enough, right?

The second one read 'Hey baby, I got the F, the C and the K. All I need now is U!' This one did raise a few eyebrows in our general direction.

Then there was; 'I'm gonna ride you into the sunset so you might as well be there', which Maria and I both agreed was very fitting considering guitar boy's Texan accent. The bulky guy assigned to keep the audience from storming the small stage-like platform, did not agree and the sign was confiscated before the end fourth song of the night. That didn't discourage us in the least, though.

The forth and final sign had "Come find me in the bar at midnight", "bring a friend" and "don't be late," spelled out in big bold letters.

We headed outside for a smoke while the boy-bander tortured the audience with his bland four chord songs. Once we felt it was safe to return inside again we grabbed our recently acquired fake IDs and headed straight for the bar. I don't remember how long we waited, but 'guitar boy' didn't disappoint, because when he showed up, he showed up with a certain green eyed angel in tow.

They greeted us with sly 'hellos' and 'how-ya-doings'. Jasper made no pretence of not staring at the cleavage spilling out of Maria's low-cut tank top. That girl seemed to possess just the right mixture of innocent appearance and beckoning curves to lure any man in. Unfortunately my angel, my Edward, was no exception. His eyes too, went straight for her tits.

I was miffed to say the least. I wanted to try and chat him up, but since he wasn't even looking at me it felt awkward and unnatural.

Rounds after rounds of shots were ordered. Intermittently there was small talk, but no lengthy conversations. Edward wasn't very talkative and seemed quite distracted and maybe a little bored. I got the impression Jasper had more or less twisted his arm to get him to tag along.

At one point Edward actually looked straight at me and asked if he didn't know me from somewhere. I stared at him for a moment before laughing, and saying yes, he did know me, and then nicely reminded him of our encounter in Jasper's hotel room just the other night. I would have told him about that first time, our first meeting in my brother's photo studio, but before I got a chance to do so, his attention had already drifted back to Maria's tits again.

I really can't remember what else we talked about after that point as I was far too busy sticking imaginary pins into the boobage of an imaginary female voodoo doll.

I don't know if it was the voodoo thing that did the trick or if it was just natural progression, but soon thereafter Jasper and Maria started sucking faces like leeches. It was disgusting to watch. Evidently I wasn't the only one that felt that way, because Edward scrambled off his bar stool and announced that he was leaving.

I quickly got to my feet as well, not willing to let him out of my sight just yet. I tried to suggest that we should share a cab, but he replied by giving my shoulder a squeeze and telling me that I seemed like a "great girl" but that he "wouldn't be good company" because he was "in a weird place".

I couldn't think of anything intelligent to say so I just told him "weird place or not, you'll still need a way of transportation" to which he let out a hearty laugh and then he kissed me! I think he was aiming for my cheek, but I turned my head so the light peck that he had intended became a full-on smack. Sadly there was no tongue action or anything. One minute he was kissing me then the next he was gone, but it was progress non the less and it gave me hope.

The heart wants what it want then why should we deprive it.

Love always,

Angela Cullen

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.oOo...

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AN:

I'm sorry you had to wait so long for this chapter. The good news is I've started my 4 weeks vacation now and should have plenty of time to write. The bad news is… err, scratch that, nothing can possibly be bad about having 28 work free days!

I get a lot of questions about when Edward is going to be told/find out about Bella's pregnancy. This story move in a rather slow pace. It's been less than a week since Edward learned about the paternity result. He deserves a few more days to sort things out in his head and get his priorities straight. It's mid December in this fic and Edward has made a promise to Esme to bring Anthony around for Christmas. Christmas is also the deadline Bella has given herself to tell her family about the baby. I'm thinking there might be a snowstorm or something coming up… We can't have the two love birds spending the holidays in different states now can we? How long do you think Bella can keep her secret around Alice and Carlisle and the rest of the Cullens?

I realize I haven't said this in a while so here we go; thanks to those who read and a big big big THANKS to those who review. I love every review you leave:)


	18. Chapter 17 Judgement day

**Chapter 17 - Judgement day**

Edward wasn't too worried at first. He knew where to look, the playground. It wasn't that far away, in fact he could see the top of the swing set clearly from where he stood. However, as he walked down the path leading to the play area, he saw absolutely no trace of the runaway toddler.

Pulling his jacket tighter around him, he hurried his steps. The temperature had dropped since the day before and a slight chill lingered in the air. There had been frost on the ground that morning and it had taken great effort to keep Anthony away from the icy puddles alongside frozen shore of the artificial lake.

The LAKE!

Edward had all but forgotten about the lake and how short distance it was between the water and the walkway. The water looked dark, cold and uninviting. Anthony hated to bath, hated getting water in his hair or anywhere near his face. Surely he wouldn't go anywhere near the water…or would he? He loved jumping and splashing in the puddles… and there were plenty of those on the shore.

Realizing the seriousness of the situation Edward sprinted the last 12 feet to the fenced kid friendly play area. The boy had to be there. He HAD to or else… no, he didn't even want to think about the "or else part".

"Anthony? "

His breath became short as he looked around the place, quickly finding it empty.

"Anthony, Anthony where are you?"

The play set was of moderate size and didn't hold a whole lot of hiding places. It was boat shaped, with the slide being the gangway. Kids could climb up a ladder in rear, enter the body of the boat and then come out at the top of the slide. The boat itself was stranded in a giant sandbox, surrounded by climbing toys, swings and see-saws.

Edward searched through every single inch of the place, three times, but still came up empty handed. There was no sign of Anthony anywhere and he could feel the panic gnawing at him. What if the boy was hurt and unable to respond? What if he had gone into the water? What if someone had snatched him?

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.oOo. oOo. oOo. oOo. oOo. oOo. oOo. oOo. oOo.

.

"I've lost my little boy." Edward's words were rushed as he approached a man who, by his appearance, looked like a janitor of some sort. "He's two… he's wearing uh, jeans and a dark jacket.. I think… and he's got light brown hair and gray-ish eyes. Have you seen him?"

"Nope," the man looked up from the drain pipe he was working on. "How long has he been missing?"

"Ten, fifteen minutes..."

"Where did you last see him?"

"He was…the cabin… I wasn't looking and he slipped away," Edward explained, trying to remain calm but failing miserably. His voice sounded hysteric even to his own ears. "I was hoping he'd gone to the playground, but now I can't find him anywhere."

"Have you checked with the reception manager, down by the main building? Someone might have found him and turned him in. We have a lost-and-foun-…"

"I'm not looking for a set of misplaced keys. I lost my son!" Edward all but snapped.

"Kids get lost all the time, sir" The man shrugged and began rummaging through his toolbox. "I haven't seen him around here. Try the main building. They know what to do."

.

.oOo. oOo. oOo. oOo. oOo. oOo. oOo. oOo. oOo.

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"Do you think I should call the police?" Edward ran his hands through his short hair and tried to them from shaking. "He could have gone into the water… I have looked everywhere… he's only two years old…"

The woman behind the reception desk had to be fifty at the very least, but she didn't look like the grandmotherly type and she didn't seem to take his concerns all that seriously.

He needed someone to listen, to help him, before it was too late.

"Did you hear me? I think he's gone into the water!" he repeated, desperation now edging his tone.

"I heard you, honey. Slow it down, take a deep breath... Now, let's try again. You said your son is missing. Is he by any chance about 30 inches tall, dressed in a green hooded jacket?"

"Y-yeah, how did you…? Is he here? Have you found him?"

He felt his stomach bunch into a knot as he waited for the answer.

The woman, whose name tag read Catherine, nodded, "Yes, I believe we have," then added with a smile, "Unless, of course, there is more than one little boy on the lose. How about I take you to him, so you can see for yourself. He's in my office."

She quickly lead him through a long hallway, across a sitting room and then into to another hallway.

Edward followed closely in her steps, his heart still beating alarmingly fast. "Is he… is he okay? Where did you find him?"

"One of the kitchen girls saw him when she went outside to unload groceries. He is fine, a bit shook up, but you know kids, tomorrow he will have forgotten all about it. He stopped crying when your fiancée showed up."

"My fiancée?" Edward echoed, like a retarded parrot.

"Yes, Ms. Swan came in just a few minutes ago," she explained over her shoulder a s the kept walking. "Pure coincidence. She came by to return the can of lock de-icer she borrowed this morning. She heard the child fussing and instantly knew the source of the sound."

"Hmf…is she…I mean, are they… where…?"

As he struggled to form a coherent response their walk came to a halt before a closed door.

"They are right through here," Catherine assured him as she turned the handle.

The door swung open and sure enough there they were, Anthony and Bella. Just like bread and butter or peanut butter and jelly. Find one and you'll find the other.

"Anthony!" Edward flew across the room in three fleeting steps, practically jerking the child out of Bella's arms. "Don't you ever do that to me again!"

The child went rigid in his arms. Shock gave a moment of silence, then the boy released his pent up breath in a loud wail.

"Sssh," he ran his hand soothingly over Anthony's hair as the boy cried. "I'm sorry, buddy. It was just as much my fault…. It won't happen again!"

"This is what happens when you don't pay attention," he heard someone, Bella he presumed, grumble from somewhere behind him.

"You're lucky he didn't get hurt!"

She was right, of course, but he tuned her out completely as the sense of relief overpowered everything else at that moment.

.

.oOo. oOo. oOo. oOo. oOo. oOo. oOo. oOo. oOo.

.

He could tell, that Bella was itching to give him a good, swift kick to the rear. He deserved it, but was glad she had the good sense to wait util they were in private.

The walk back to the cabin was a brisk, quiet one, until they walked past the deserted playground and Anthony indicated with great clarity that he wanted to be set down on the ground.

The boy really, really loved climbing the boat and going down the slide and Edward didn't have the heart to say no. A promise was a promise and he'd told Anthony he'd take him there later.

Bella, of course, had some reservations. "Edward, it's freezing. We should be heading inside."

"I know."

"If he gets wet, he'll catch a cold."

"I know."

"Do you? Really? Because you're acting like you have no damn clue what you're doing half the time."

He breathed out a long and exaggerated breath. "I might be clueless, but I'm not stupid."

"I never said you were."

"You don't have to say it, I can see it in your face," he replied grimly. "Listen, I know I messed up. I don't need you or anyone else to tell me that. You have no idea how panicked I felt when I realized he was gone. I have never in my life felt so SMALL, I mean… never."

"Well, good!" she said, fixing him with a startlingly piercing stare, before she turned away to assist Anthony on the ladder. When she turned back she added, "He's such a sweet little boy, he deserves to have at least one parent that care."

"I know."

Their conversation halted as they watched Anthony go down the slide. They ohed and ahhed…and clapped…. the first three runs, then they retreated to the strategically placed park bench. They were alone, no other kids or passers-by in sight. The dreary weather was just that uninviting.

"Five more minutes, Edward. No more," Bella hunched her shoulders inside her jacket and jammed her hands into her pockets to keep them warm.

Edward gritted his teeth. "You're doing it again!"

"What?"

"Questioning my judgement. I'm trying here, I really am."

"No you're not."

"Yes I am."

"No you're not. There is a difference between 'doing the right thing' and 'doing it right'. There is such a thing as being responsible and I…."

"Don't come talking to me about responsibilities! You're the one acting shady. You're the one keeping secrets," he spat at her, feeling a jumble of emotions run through him. He hadn't intended on confronting her on this particular issue just yet, but the her words made him see red.

Bella blinked for a moment and then asked, "Is this about me heading out before you woke up this morning? Where you expecting me to be all lovie dovey, to serve you breakfast in bed and iron your shirts? Because that shit ain't happening!"

"Cut it out!" he stated with calmness he didn't feel. "You can come and go as you like, I'm fine with that. A note would have been nice, though, or… I don't know… maybe a phone call. I don't need another missing person, I have enough on my plate as it is!"

"My bad. It wasn't out of spite, just self-preservation. I thought you'd be capable of handling the child alone for a few hours, but I clearly I was wrong."

Edward glared, but let the insult pass.

Rising from the bench he checked on Anthony, who showed no signs of having grown tired of playing just yet. It didn't seem like he was freezing either so Edward returned to the bench. He was already screwed time wise, so another few minutes really wouldn't matter.

"Aren't you going to tell me where you went this morning?" he asked, nudging Bella's knee with own as he sat back down next to her.

"Not right now, no," she replied, scooted forward to rest her elbow's on her knees and her head in her hands.

Checking that they were still alone, Edward lowered his voice. "Alright then, how about you tell me about the 'vitamins' you're 'supposedly' taking."

"Wh-… What?" her head snapped up.

"You heard me."

"You went through my things?" she asked, though it was more of a statement than a question.

"What did you expect? You haven't answered your bloody phone all day. Did it ever occur to you that I might get worried? So what are they? Painkillers, tranquilizers, antidepressants?" he rattled off, staring her down, determined to get an answer.

Her face turned pale, green almost, before his eyes, but she didn't look away… or faint, or rush off to hide in the bathroom… maybe he was actually making some progress with her for once.

When she finally answered her voice was cautious and flat. Hers face twisted in an expression he could not read "They are vitamins and nutritional supplements, which I'm pretty sure I'm allowed to take without yours or anyone else's approval."

"How do I know you're telling the truth?"

"You don't. You just have to take my word for it."

He searched her face for signs that she was lying, but saw none.

"Why wont you tell me where you where were this morning? Why the secrecy? You're holding back on me, yet you expect me to trust you. I don't get that equation at all."

"There is no secrecy. You're just being paranoid," she sighed. "I got a phone call from Franklin. Turns out the police has found a new witness. He let me come down to the station to read the witness statement. It contained very little new information. I wasn't going to tell you about it until we were inside, because I have some notes and documents I want to show you."

"A new witness?"

"Later," she shook her head. "Now, grab the kid, so we can get out of here!"

"Not so fast," Edward protested. "You mean to tell me that Franklin called you in wee hours of the morning over a witness statement? One that wasn't even all that important."

"No, he called around ten thirty. If you really must know, I went to get my blood pressure checked out this morning. It's something I've been doing bi-weekly for a while now, but since my regular doctor is miles away, I had to take whatever appointment I could get."

Once again, she seemed entirely honest with him. Agitated perhaps, but honest. Definitely progress.

"You have a high blood pressure? That's why you fainted the other day?"

"It's just something that runs in the family," she shrugged like it was no biggie..

"Your dad?" he guessed.

"Both of my parents actually. I'm sorry if I had you worried. I meant to tell you I had an errand to run, honestly, I did, but I… eh… sort of forgot about it."

"It's not the only thing you appear to have forgotten."

"What do you mean?"

"What day is it today, Bella? Think about it before you answer."

"Wednesday….?" Bella paused with a look of question on her face. "Oh, fu-… The social worker! She's suppose to make her house call today, isn't she?" She glanced at the watch on her wrist and jumped to her feet. "It's still early, we still got more than an hour to get ready! The kid just needs a good wipe down and some clean clothes."

"That was the plan, but now I'm actually kind of thinking we should let him play until he crashes. He hasn't napped at all today and it might be easier to clean him if he's sleeping. Besides if he's still napping when the social worker gets here, she won't question why he's only partly dressed."

"Only partly dressed?" Bella asked, her brows snapped together in confusion. "Ohhh, no clean clothes? Shoot, I forgot we were suppose to do laundry first thing this morning."

"No clean shirts or sweaters and still no boaster seat. Unless you remembered to look at that list Alice sent us? "

"Of things we were suppose to buy and put in the cabin to make you come across as a responsible and caring parent? I'm sorry, but no, I it completely slipped my mind. Oh, crap, now I get why you were texting me every fifteen minutes."

"Yeah, you see, when I woke up the car was already gone and the one person that could have helped me acquire those items on that list very conveniently had her phone turned off."

"Argh, " she slapped one hand to her forehead. "I'll fix this! Take the boy inside, get him clean and I'll figure something out."

"How?"

"Our neighbors and fellow vacationers seem friendly enough. Hopefully there is someone out there that is willing to lend us the things we need, I'll even pay them for it if I have to!"

"Oh great… What are you planning to do? Go from door-to-door, bugging strangers for clean clothes and kiddy supplies… I'm sure that is an approach that will go over nicely. If we keep this up we'll be run out of here before the week is over."

"I would have hoped you had more fate in me. I can be quite persuasive when I put my mind to it."

"Stubborn you mean?" Despite his sour mood, he couldn't keep his lips from curving up into a smile.

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.oOo. oOo. oOo. oOo. oOo. oOo. oOo. oOo. oOo.

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	19. Chapter 18 The devil is in the details

AN: So…. only four reviews for chapter 17. It must have been a boring one. Let's see if you like this one any better? (hint hint) REVIEW!**  
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**Chapter 18- The devil is in the details**

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"Is suck," Anthony whined and reached up and touched the back of his head.

"It's stuck, I know. You have chewing gum stuck in your hair…" Edward sighed and frowned. "I just… Hang on buddy, don't pull at it."

"Owie." Anthony frowned.

"I have no idea where he got it from, or how it ended up in his hair for that matter. Not that I'm trying to make excuses or anything," Edward explained somewhat awkwardly to his guest, Mrs. Thompson, the social worker, who had showed up more than half an hour early.

Edward suspected that it had been deliberate, kind of like a test to see how well he could handle unexpected situations. It was safe to say he was failing miserably.

"I didn't notice it until I undressed him to give him a bath. That's why he's naked by the way. I don't normally let him run around without clothes like this," Edward blushed and wished he would just stop talking, because clearly it wasn't helping his case.

"That's alright," the social worker smiled reassuringly. "He looks like he could use a bath. I'm only here to observe so don't let me stop you".

"Well before I can bathe him I need to do something about his hair. The gum is stuck like, all the way down to his head." Edward reached over and parted Anthony's hair, trying not to make it worse. I think I'll have to cut it out. I have sent Bella out to borrow a pair of scissors from the neighbors."

"I say no cut. Is my hair," Anthony protested with a high-pitched squeak and brought his hands to his head.

"I know it's your hair, buddy. I'll be careful, it won't hurt, I promise."

"No, I cut."

"You can't cut your own hair. It's all the way back here."

"I cut and no owie."

"He doesn't like it much when I comb his hair," Edward felt himself blush again. "I'll be careful, I promise. It won't hurt, Anthony. No owie, alright?"

"I have owie ina bow," Anthony sighed and touched his bruised eyebrow and the small cut that was still evident beneath his flock of small curls.

"That's quite a shiner you got there, Anthony. Did you have an accident?" the woman asked, and scribbled something in her notebook.

"I fall and have owie."

"You fell and hit your head. I bet that must have hurt, huh?"

"The bathroom floor was wet and he fell and bumped his head on the bathtub. I was right there with him, but I didn't manage to catch him in time. It looks worse than it is though, right Anthony?"

"No cry, have spider, see?"

"Look at that! You have a Spiderman band aid, that's pretty cool."

"An then I have iceceem," Anthony informed Mrs. Thompson who acted appropriately impressed.

"You had ice cream, get out of here! Who gave you ice cream?"

Anthony giggled and wiggled in Edward's lap to get down. "I donno… a monster…"

"A monster gave you ice cream? That must have been one very nice monster. Was it the cookie monster?"

"The monster say no sanwich, no apple… have cookies again, an again, an again…" Anthony nodded and tilted is head to look at Edward, who of course was blushing again. He didn't much like the direction this conversation had taken.

"Hey now, that's not true. You can't eat cookies all the time. What did we eat this morning? It wasn't cookies, now was it?"

"Seerup, but no cookie?"

"Right, we had a little bit of syrup, but what else did we eat?"

"Jallo?"

"Nope no jelly, that was yesterday. What else did we have this morning?"

"I dunno…"

"They were frozen so we put them in the toaster, don't you remember? They were flat and round, almost like cookies, but it wasn't cookies it was a pan_"

"Paaaancakes!"

"Wow, your daddy made you pancakes. That's pretty nice of him. I bet you liked that, didn't you?"

"Uh uh, I say I don like. I wan frieee."

"Yeah, fries can be good sometimes, too. Have you eaten anything else today?"

"Coclate … Is a candy."

"You ate some chocolate candy. Is that all?" Mrs. Thompson looked at Edward for clarification.

"It was a chocolate bar, but I've also managed to get him to eat some crackers and half an apple," he explained and made a face at Anthony who was getting antsy in his arms.

The woman's eyebrow went up another notch, but she didn't say anything.

"He is not a big eater, that's all." Edward shrugged and placed Anthony on the floor. "I know I shouldn't be giving him sweets, I know it spoils his appetite, but if we didn't bribe him he wouldn't be eating at all," Edward confessed and threw his hands out in a gesture of resignation.

She smiled then, the social worker, and nodded knowingly. "Battles at the dinner table will usually only make a picky eater pickier, but be careful with his sugar intake. An unbalanced diet can be dangerous to the overall health, and especially harmful to the teeth."

"That's another thing we're still working on… the brushing of teeth without tantrum routine," Edward sighed, placing the heel of his hand to his forehead as he closed his eyes. "This shi-.. stuff is hard work. I'm not to sure I'm cut out for parenthood."

"Hey now, the boy seems to be in good health AND in good hands. Don't be so hard on yourself."

"I almost lost him today. I looked away for a second… a couple of seconds… okay, three minutes tops and the child was gone. He trotted off and took a 30 minutes field trip, 30 minutes, which shortened my life by about two years!"

"You need to keep a better eye on him."

"I know. I will…" Involuntarily his eyes sought out the little boy who was making brum brum noises and rolling a car on the carpet by his feet.

"What was the first thing you did you do when you realized he was gone?" Mrs. Thompson asked, as she scribbled something in her note book again.

"I freaked out, of course… and then I ran to the play ground to look for him. When I couldn't find him I went to get help."

"Alright and when he bumped his head on the bathtub, what did you do?"

"I used a towel to stop the bleeding. There was a lot of blood, but the cut itself wasn't that bad. I think he was more scared than hurt."

"Did you have a doctor look at it?"

"No, but we called a medical advice line."

"And what did they say?"

"To give him baby Tylenol and keep an eye on him."

He was about to explain further, but just then Bella barged into the room with a big scuffle.

"All right I've got scissors and I got clothes! Has he had his bath yet? Let's take care of the hair before…." She halted mid step when she realized they had a guest. "I'm sorry, I didn't know we had company," she apologized with a confused glance at her watch.

"Ms. Swan, it's a pleasure to see you again. I know I'm a bit early. The traffic wasn't as bad as I had anticipated," Mrs. Thompson explained to Bella as the two women shook hands.

"Edward honey, why don't you give Anthony his bath," Bella suggested, with a reassuring smile in Edward's direction. "I'll see what I can do about the hair once you are done. I think the gum will be easier to deal with when his hair is wet…. If that's alright?" The last question was directed to the social worker.

"Yeah, that sounds like a plan as good as any."

"Come on kiddo, let's get you cleaned up." Glad to have been let off the hook, at least temporarily, Edward spun into action and scooped the kid up off the floor and brought him into the kitchen.

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.. oOXOo. oOXOo. oOXOo. oOXOo.

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One bath in the kitchen sink and three toddler tantrums later, Edwards head was throbbing like the speakers at a heavy metal concert, but at least the child was clean, dressed and gum free.

"I see no point in dragging this out longer than necessary, Mr. Cullen" the social worker closed her notebook and slipped it into her purse. "You've got my stamp of approval. I'll make sure all the papers get signed and handed in today. You'll hear from your lawyer in a couple of days, hopefully Monday or Tuesday the latest. I know you're eager to get home."

"Are you serious?" Edward asked in a doubtful voice. "He's mine for keeps?"

"This is only the first step in the process, but yes, I'll be recommending to Child Services that you be granted temporary custody for the next six months."

"Oh okay. So it will be like a trial period?"

"Yes. You'll have a case worker checking in with you on a regular basis. Becoming a good parent doesn't happen overnight. It takes time and LOTS of patience… You have shown an ability to adapt successfully to changing circumstances. But most importantly, the child seems to be feeling safe and content in your care."

"He's a really good kid, none of this is his fault," Edward admitted as his eyes went to the sofa where Bella kept Anthony entertained with a deck of cards and a few spoons from the kitchen. The kid looked adorably presentable, in his borrowed pajamas and with his new close-cropped hairdo.

"It's a good sign that you're aware of your shortcomings and that you are willing to learn from your mistakes."

"What choice do I have? He's my own flesh and blood…I'll try… I'll do my best…."

"I know you will, otherwise I wouldn't leave him here in your care. Now, let's tell them the good news, shall we?"

.

.. oOXOo. oOXOo. oOXOo. oOXOo.

.

They celebrated with cookie dough ice cream and a game of hide and seek. When bedtime rolled around, Anthony crawled under the covers and cozied up with his father like it was something he'd been doing his whole life… picture perfect…almost… There was just one small problem, the child refused to close his eyes and fall asleep. He tossed, turned, cried, whined, fussed, rubbed his head, his eyes and then whined some more… until finally….

"Finally!"

"He's asleep? " Bella asked as she looked up from her laptop with a quick glance at the watch.

"Yep!" Edward nodded, closing the door carefully behind him. "I don't know why he does that. He falls asleep just fine as long as I let him do it on his own accord, like in front of the TV or with his toys on the floor, but whenever I try to put him in a pajama and get him to fall asleep in an actual bed, he just won't cooperate."

"Maybe he has never had those kinds of routines before," Bella suggested, sitting up straighter on the sofa, then instantly regretting it as the waistband of her jeans dug into her stomach. Damn, those jeans were getting painfully snug.

She must have winced, or groaned, or something, because Edward was looking at her oddly. She followed his gaze and realized why. Without thinking she had let her right hand slid under the hem of her T-shirt to undo a button… or technically, to undo a second button, since she'd already given up on buttoning the top one a few days ago. No wonder he was staring, he had just caught her with a hand down her pants. Judging by the smirk that spread across his face, he was clearly drawing his own conclusions. Of course… Edward and his one-track mind.

Grasping for something, anything, to re-direct his attention she blurted "Separation anxiety!" and snapped her fingers like she just had an epiphany. "…or abandonment issues... or something to that extent."

"What?" Edward blinked, taken aback by this sudden change of subject.

"Think about it, I bet Anthony don't want to go to sleep because he's worried about you not being there when he wakes up in the morning."

"Oh," Edwards his smirk deflated into a parted frown, and his eyebrows knit together. "You think the little guy is acting up because he's looking for reassurance?"

"I'm no expert, but yeah. His mama just up and left him, that's not something he's likely to forget anytime soon."

Edward sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. "I must say the inner workings of the toddler mind is confusing. I should probably read a book or something…"

Bella studied him for a moment, trying to see if he was being serious or just mucking around with her. "Uhm, I'm sure there are classes you could sign up for…" she suggested warily, earning herself an eye-roll.

"Yes, because I'll fit right in at the Mommy-and-Me class."

"I'm sure you'd be a welcome addition to the group. And if that particular class doesn't work out for you maybe you could try a single parent support group or… I don't know, a single dad support group, perhaps. You're hardly the first guy to become a single dad overnight, Edward."

"You seriously think I should sign up for something like that?" he frowned, as if the idea hadn't even occurred to him.

"You want my honest opinion?" she asked to which he nodded affirmative. "Alright, honestly I don't think parenting is something you can learn from a book or a class. It's probably beneficial to have a tight knit group of people you can vent your frustration to, but ultimately I think it all boils down to trial and error. That's life; you live, you learn."

"That's bullshit!" He shook his head. "There is no learning curve. There is no room for mistakes. You look away for two seconds and the kid either gets lost or gets hurt."

"I'm pretty sure that's why most kids can't remember their first few years of life, so they can't hold things against their parents."

"Gee, thanks Swan! That's very reassuring," he replied with sarcasm as he plopped himself down on the sofa next to her.

Bella yelped in surprise as she narrowly escaped getting her feet crushed. "Hey, watch where you put that bony ass!"

"Do you mind?" he asked, gesturing towards her outstretched legs.

"You do realize you have a perfectly functional armchair less than two feet away, don't you?"

"I do, but the sofa is more comfy," he replied and then resolutely hooked an arm under her legs, turning them to the side. "…and besides I thought we could talk."

"I thought we already were," Bella attempted a shrug, but ended up making somewhat of a strained face as her legs were swung over the edge of the sofa and she was once more reminded of the snugness of the waistband of her pants.

Edward, of course, misinterpreted her grimace. "Muscles sore eh, Swan?" he asked with an amused smile. "Don't tell me I wore you out last night? I thought you were in better shape than that?"

She rolled her eyes at him, hastily pulling a pillow into her lap. "My muscles are fine, thank you very much. If you paid half as much attention to your son as you do to me, you'd have this parenting thing figured out in no time."

"Ouch!" He pretended to be hurt for a moment, and then he put on another one of his infamous smirks. "Ah, but see, the kiddo is asleep right now. He really doesn't need my attention at the moment. You, on the other hand," he said, cupping her chin and tilting her head so he could look at her. "…are looking kind of bleak. You're not going to faint on me, are you?"

Not this again… She glared at him with all the indignation she could muster. "Faint? No!… Explode? Possibly!" Scowling, she shoved his hand away. "I ate way too much ice cream. I'm pretty sure I'll detonate if I as much as smell anything chocolate-y right now."

She was, in fact, feeling a bit queasy so it wasn't a complete lie.

Edward, however, seemed unimpressed. "Please, I ate twice as much as you did. You'll live, I'm sure."

"Did you not see that shake I chugged down? It was massive," she told him, adding a small but audible burp for good measure.

"What? A protein shake? That hardly counts. Don't think I haven't noticed that you've been eating like a bird lately. You're almost as bad as Anthony."

Oh, he did not just go there! Bella groaned inwardly.

"I fail to see how my diet is any of your business, Edward," she said in a tone of voice that should have told him to back off.

"I fail to see why you're even on a diet in the first place," he challenged, with a finger trailing down her bare arm. "I like you like this, with real curves and a wee bit more padding. Don't ruin it, by starving yourself."

Bella gaped at him. "I'm not even going to dignify that with an answer. You can forget about those curves because I won't be letting you near them again anytime soon."

This time when she slapped his hand away she made sure to use enough force knock him backwards in stunned anguish.

"F-ing hell, that hurt!" he cursed rubbing at his leg. "I was merely stating an observation."

"Yeah well keep your observations to yourself," she snarled with rising agitation.

"You know … you're quite hot when you're angry, Belly Bells!" he teased.

"You did not just call me that!" She raised her hand again, but he ducked before she could strike.

That's when she heard it, a laugh, a deep down, from the pit of the STOMACH laugh and her breath was caught in her chest. He was laughing, truly laughing, for the first time in days.

"Jackass." she huffed and got out of the sofa. "I'm gonna go take a shower. You better be out of my sight when I get back."

.

.. oOXOo. oOXOo. oOXOo. oOXOo.

.

Once again, she had lost her cool, lost her temper, way to easily. Damn hormones!… and damn that jerk! He knew exactly what buttons to push!

Edward wasn't stupid. Nor was he easily fooled. She had let him get too close and now things had gotten way complicated. She had even less time to work with than she had originally calculated.

Bella had hoped the shower would sooth her nerves and calm her down. Instead it did nothing but get her wet. And of course, as the hot water slid down her body all she could think about was HIS touch. She hadn't allowed herself to think about their salacious kitchen tryst all day, but now it was all she could think about. The way he had felt against her, inside her, all around her….

She found herself sliding a hand down her body, and between her legs feeling the wetness that pooled there; a wetness that had very little to do with the shower and very much to do with the direction her thoughts were taking her. She had way more urgent matters to tackle, bigger obstacles to face, but yet there she was, naked in the shower, trying to get herself off to the thought of one Edward Cullen.

Damn hormones! She was helpless against them. Her body wanted what it wanted…and apparently it craved a play-by-play reenactment of the previous night.

She caved, of course, and afterwards she felt even more disgusted with herself.

She was setting herself up for a disaster; a crash and burn of epic proportions, no doubt. So why go through that kind of hurt? She was weak, there was no denying it. She had no self control.

As she exited the shower on shaky legs, she caught sight of herself in the foggy mirror. It was a sight she didn't want to see. She couldn't stand to look herself in the eye and she really, really didn't want to look too closely at her body. Didn't want to acknowledge the changes to it; the new curves, the additional padding…. No, she did not want to see…

Damn hormones!

.

.. oOXOo. oOXOo. oOXOo. oOXOo.

.

Of course Edward was still there when Bella exited the bathroom, still waiting for her, still sitting in the exact same spot on the sofa.

There weren't many places for him to go really. The cabin was small and besides they really did have quite a few issues that needed to be addressed before they called it a night.

"I thought I told you to get lost?" Bella huffed, fluffing her hair with a towel as she stomped into the room.

"We still need to have that talk," Edward shot back, looking up to meet her glare.

"Right, you keep saying you want to talk, yet I haven't heard anything remotely intelligent coming from you all day."

He opened his mouth to defend himself, but then it seemed he thought better of it and just shook his head.

A full two minutes passed in silence, in which Bella continued to dry her hair and Edward continued to remain motionless.

His staring, unwavering eyes were driving her nuts. She felt exposed even though her body was completely covered from neck to toe in her unflattering but safe night attire.

Finally she couldn't take it anymore. "You said you wanted to talk, so talk!" she ordered, stepping in front of the sofa.

"Okay, if you insist," he smirked, his lips quirking with the satisfaction of ruffling her feathers. "Let's start with some practical issues. Firstly," Edward held up a finger, " there is the coffee maker. It's beyond repairable so we're going to have to replace it. Secondly," he said, adding another finger. "I sincerely hope you stocked up on condoms when you went to town or else we have a real problem on our hands."

As expected Bella's response was immediate and quite explosive.

"Just kidding. just kidding…" He held up a hand, stopping her from lunging for his neck. "Easy tiger! Choking is not my thing," he teased. "But now that I have your attention, we do have some stuff we need to discuss. Like my brother for instance. Did you call him like I asked you to? You haven't said a word about it and I'm no mind reader so I really can't tell one way or another."

Decidedly not amused by his antics she shook her head in exasperation before answering. "Yes, I had a brief chat with Emmett while you were busy putting Anthony to bed. And guess what? He too wanted to discuss the state of the coffee maker."

"Heh... " Edward had the decency to look a little sheepish. "I might have mentioned something about it being out of commission when I spoke with him this morning."

"I bet you did. The two of you are worse than two old ladies in a Brooklyn barbershop."

"He just wanted to know how things are going with the kid and how we are handling being cooped up in close quarters together. I didn't give him any details."

Bella put a hand on her hip and gave him a look that clearly stated that she didn't believe him. "Your brother was kind enough to let me have Jared Jankowski's phone number. He also told me to let you know that Jasper is still working on locating Peter's whereabouts."

"Good, then consider yourself thoroughly briefed. And before you ask… No, this new information hasn't done anything to jog my memory, meaning I'm still as clueless as I ever was."

"Right, but for me to be completely briefed I'll need you to tell me how your conversation with Carlisle went. I bet Dr. Cullen had a few well chosen words to say about your memory gaps and your alcohol consumption"

"Probably, but we never got that far. I didn't feel like opening that particular can of worms with my mother listening in on speakerphone. I'll try again in a few days, when they're back from their vacation."

"Alright, don't wait too long, tough. Sometimes the smallest of details can be the most important ones."

"I know, I know…. The devil is in the details. Speaking of details, I believe you said you had something you wanted to show me? Something about a new witness?"

Now this was a topic she could handle. Relieved to finally be on safe grounds, Bella produced a brilliant smile and dove into her laptop case to retrieve a neatly folded map of the Seattle area.

"How familiar are you with the layout of this city? she asked spreading the map out on the coffee table.

.

.. oOXOo. oOXOo. oOXOo. oOXOo.

.

AN: Sorry it took me so long to get this out. I hope you can forgive me. I've been vacationing in Italy with no internet access. Capri was lovely, Naples not so much (they have a bit of a garbage problem) and Rome…Rome was exhausting, but well worth the visit.

I'll try to catch up with the reviews and have another chapter written for you within a week.


	20. Chapter 19 – A plan in the making

**Chapter 19 – A plan in the making**

.

.-_-:-_-.-_-:-_-.-_-:-_-.-_-:-_-.-_-:-_-.

.

"This is the church where Anthony was found abandoned," Bella explained, directing Edward gaze to a circled area on the map.

The couch squeaked as he leaned forward. "I've look it up on my own, I know where it is. "

"Ok good, so if we go by chronological order, the first witness was be the bus driver, who remembers a female passenger with a child, matching Anthony's description. They stepped off the bus at this bus stop, right over here."

Her hand moved to point out a spot about half a block away from the church. "The second witness is the Catholic priest, whom the woman spoke with during confession. And then we have the new witness; a female shop owner who was working on a front window display, right across the street from the bus stop." Again she indicated a point on the map." You with me so far?" she asked turning her head to Edward, who nodded affirmatively, urging her to go on.

"This witness saw our mystery woman when she arrived, but more importantly she was also saw her, twenty something minutes later, when she hoped on a bus again and left… same woman, same bus stop, but no child this time."

Edward blew out a breath of impatience as he processed this new, or not so new, information. "So, she traveled by bus. Didn't we already know this?"

"Yes, but we only had one bus route before; the one that brought her there. Now we know which route she took when she left too. I've marked them on the map with a green and a blue marker."

"The lines cross each other on two different places," Edward observed after having studied them for a while. "Could one of those places be where she got on the bus originally?"

Bella shook her head. "We can't know that for sure. Theoretically she could have transferred from one bus to another on any of the bus stops along the line. That's what the red dotted lines are for, to mark the other bus routes in the area."

Edward leaned forward on the couch to rest his elbows on his knees. "What about the Metro, there must be a station nearby, right?"

"Well yes, the closest one is over here…" she paused to point it out on the map. "… but she would have had to switch busses at least three times to get from the metro station to the right bus route. I sincerely doubt she opted to do that with a toddler on her arm during the morning rush. It's just too much of a hustle."

He considered her reasoning for a moment. "Maybe she took a cab and then jumped on a bus…and then switched buses once or twice just to confuse us. She must have known her steps would be traced."

"Sure, that's one of many possibilities," Bella agreed without argument. "The way I see it, the only way to move forward with this is to make and test a variety of assumptions. In fact there are a fe-…"

"Assumptions, really? Is that your typicalapproach?" Edward cut in, leaning back in his seat to give her an irritated look.

"Do you want to hear this or not?" Bella snapped, not happy with being interrupted.

"I do, I do," he put up his hands in a soothing gesture. "I'm allowed to have questions though, aren't I?"

"Of course, "she sighed. "Just, hear me out first before you bite my head off, okay?"

He threw his hands up again. "Fine! Carry on by all means…"

"Well, maybe I started in the wrong end of things," she amended, biting her lip. "Let's look at what we know so far before we move on to the assumptions. Let's start with what we know about the appearance of our missing person. We're looking for a woman of average height and weight, with dark hair and brown eyes. She wore an oversized, dark, gray hoodie and big, dark sun glasses."

"And a tattoo… Wasn't there something about a tattoo?"

"The bus driver thought he saw some ink, a butterfly tattoo on her neck, but none of the other witnesses has mentioned it."

Edward frowned and began tapping his fingers on the table. "What about the new witness, the shop owner? How close of a look did she get? Any new details?"

"She describes the person she observed as a fairly young woman, in mid-twenties tops. Her clothes and shoes were neat and clean, but well worn. Our witness didn't get a good look of her face, but she mentioned that her hair looked like it hadn't been dyed or cut for quite some time."

"So frizzy, unkept hair, but otherwise neat and clean? Not a junkie, or hobo, or homeless person then…"

"Probably not, but she's hardly a socialite or a fashionista either. No fancy shoes or designer clothes, no jewelry's, no handbag. The witness's statements, along with the letter that was left with the child seem to indicate that the woman we're looking for is financially challenged."

"That's your brilliant assumption? That the woman is low on cash?"

"I don't know how brilliant it is, but yes assumption number one is that her means of transportation were limited and that the bus was cheapest way for her to get from point A to point B. I would say the poor state the child was in when you first got him confirms this theory," she paused, gauging his reactions and when he didn't speak, she continued. "Now moving on to assumption number two… We've already discussed this one. It's about Anthony and his allergies."

Edward frowned again, but nodded in recognition. "I remember, you think there is a doctor out there somewhere that has treated Anthony for Anaphylaxis. Any news on that front?"

"I'll get to that in a minute. There is one more thing, one more assumption that I'd like to explain; the child's origin… It's more of a hunch than anything else at this point, but I'm fairly sure Anthony has spent better part of the last two years in the Seattle area."

Edward looked skeptical. "Is this about his accent again?"

"No, it's about his shoes. Do you remember what Anthony wore on his feet when you first met him?"

"Vaguely…. Sneakers of some sort? Well worn, hardly holding together. I haven't seen them since Alice swooped in and took care of the clothing situation. I wouldn't be surprised if she either burned them or trashed them."

"She did neither. Both the shoes and the clothes he wore were passed on to me for further investigation and are currently being examined in a crime lab back in NY…. off the record, off course… I have a friend there that owes me a favor."

Edward seemed to be surprised by this because his fingers, which had been drumming a steady rhythm, stopped. "What are you hoping to find? DNA fragments from another person?"

"If we're lucky, yes. But for now we'll have to settle for dirt."

"Dirt?"

"Yes, dirt. I've had the lab run an analysis of the dirt collected from the underside of the shoes. A large number of particles have been identified and among those particles are a certain kind of spores that can be tied specifically to springtime in the Pacific Northwest and the Seattle-Tacoma area."

"Spores? Like fungus spores?"

"No, not fungus, we're talking about a certain kind of pollen spores. There is Latin name for them, which is nearly impossible to pronounce, but I can write it down for you if you want to google it. What's interesting with this finding is that the release of these spores only occurs between March and May."

His brows furrowed as he tried to figureout what it all meant. "So, you're saying that those shoes were walking around in the Seattle-Tacoma area last spring?" he finally concluded.

"It certainly looks that way."

"Fascinating, but I don't see how this is of any help for me."

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong. If you take all these things into consideration, you'll get an idea of where we should focus our search," Bella said drawing a circle on the map with her index finger, a circle that was big enough to include the green and the blue buss lines as well as a few of the intersecting red ones.

"Searching for what? A nameless, faceless woman, who wears plain clothes and occasionally takes the bus?"

"No, what I'd like to look for is a medical facility where Anthony could have received treatment for his allergies. There are approximately 84 hospitals in the Seattle area and another 150 something clinics and medical facilities, so what I need is a strategy that prioritizes where to start looking and how to go from there."

"Alright, but it still sounds like looking for a needle in a haystack to me."

"That's why I came up with this strategy. We have three hospitals somewhat close by, but only two free medical clinics, the Harvey Health Center and Health South Parkway " she explained once again pointing at the map. "And since free clinics are wherepeople go when they can't afford other options… those two places are where I want to start. "

"So what's the plan then? What exactly is it that your strategy entails?"

"I have set up a doctor's appointment for Anthony at the Harvey Health Center. He's going in to get a scratch test done at the clinic tomorrow."

"Eh, what? Why?"

"To test for allergies of course. A scratch test is when you apply a small bit of an allergen to a scratch on the arm and then watch for a reaction."

"I know what it is. I just didn't think you'd do something like that without checking with me first. I've been planning on asking Carlisle to give him a checkup or help me set up an appointment with a suitable pediatrician if needed."

"You can still do that. This appointment is merely a way for us to snoop around inside the facility without rousing suspicion."

"Why do we need to snoop? Can't I just ask them to check in their system if they by any chance have treated Anthony in the past?"

"You can certainly try. This falls under a legalandethical gray zone, though. As a parent you can request access to your child's medical records, but it's a little bit more complicated whenyou don't know the child's full name or his exact birth date. Let's put it this way, instead of making a simple request for your sons records, you're pretty much asking them to grant you access to their entire archive."

"I can see how that would be considered a gray zone." Edward sighed and rubbed his forehead. "The correct protocol would be to get some sort of court order for this, right?"

"Sure, a court order would certainly help, but it'll take forever to obtain. My approach is going to be faster and more efficient."

"Dare I ask, what exactly is your approach?" Edward grimaced and clapped his right hand over his eyes. "Bribes and bruises?"

"Nah, I save that for special occasions," Bella shook her head but couldn't help but smile at his slightly doubtful expression. "You're right, I do have something special planed and I'll tell you all about it in the morning. But right now I'd like to get some sleep. I'm kind of tired; some arrogant, obnoxious jerk kept me up last night."

"I didn't hear you complaining," he said, cocking his eyebrow at her. "In fact, I'm pretty sure you were enjoying yourself. I woke up with teeth marks in places that I don't really want to think about."

She rolled her eyes, butblushed despite herself. "What can I say; you caught meon one of "those" days. It won't happen again."

"Aww, and here I was hoping for a repeat performance."

"Not with a kid next door that sleeps lighter than a nervous rabbit in a fox hole."

"That's not a definite no," he pointed out with a smirk. "Does that mean that if I get the rabbit out of the way… temporarily of course… you'd be willing to give it another go?"

"Hmm.. let me think... NO!" Bella all but screamed at him, giving him a not so gentle nudge towards the edge of the sofa. "Now, get lost. I need to get some sleep or I'll be crabby as hell tomorrow."


	21. Chapter 20  Point man

_AN:__ 08-28-11 12:10 _ Fixed some errors, nothing major**  
**

**Chapter 20 - Point Man**

"What do you mean 'over the top'?" Edward muttered and tugged at the hood of his sweatshirt, pulling it up over the scarf and beanie that was already in place, covering most of his hair. He looked like a bank robber; all he was missing was a pair of pantyhose to pull over his face.

"Just loose the scarf, it's a bit too much," Bella advised him with a hint of a smile as she pulled the car into an empty space in the parking lot outside the Harvey Health Center. "And stop fidgeting!"

"You said to go for casual, to dress it down," Edward scowled, looking himself up and down. He didn't see the problem: regular faded jeans, his old comfy sneakers, a dark hooded sweatshirt and a jacket. Hardly attire that should stand out.

"No, I said 'dress to blend in', but never mind. It's too late to do anything about it now anyway. Just… try not to scowl at people."

"I do not scowl," he scowled without catching the irony.

"Whatever you say Mr. Smiles and Sunshine," Bella mocked, rolling her eyes at him as she unfastened her seatbelt. "Your appointment is for 10.30. We'll wait in the car until it's time to go in. I'll walk you inside, but once the kiddo's name is called you're on your own."

"… with an unruly child and a whole bunch of needles. Great plan Swan! I hate needles. No, hate is the wrong word. I loathe needles."

"So don't look at them then. I'm fairly certain that the procedure will be conducted by a pediatrician, or a medically trained person at the very least," she pointed out, with a shake of her head. "You just need to help them hold the kid still for a few minutes, that's all."

"And when they ask about his medical history… You want me to do what? Tell the truth?"

"Of course. Plead your case. You have quite the sob story up your sleeve, milk it for all it's worth. Try and get them to pull information out of their database for you. Make them think of you as a concerned father. As long as you keep your cool, no one will question your agenda. You have nothing to be nervous about."

"Easy for you to say, you're trained for undercover work and secrecy missions."

"You're bringing your son in for a check-up, it's as simple as that. No secrecy, no hidden agendas."

"Excuse me for getting a tad bit nervous here," he grumbled in response to her pointed look. "I'm pretty sure hacking into confidential records was a criminal offence, last time I checked."

"Hacking? Really?" Her face was a picture of feigned surprised. "Is that what you think will happen here today?"

"Well yeah, I though the idea was to collect as much data as we could possibly get our hands on. Isn't that what you meant when you said you wanted us to snoop around?"

She laughed like she'd just been told a very amusing joke. "Honey, I'd love to see you give it a try, but unless you've been holding out on me I'd say you computer skills are limited to online poker and Facebooking."

"Fine…" he relented. "You're right. I'm unlikely to hack into anything, anytime soon. I just figured…the way you're always on your computer… and with your FBI training… and your contacts… but never mind," he said with a dismissive gesture. "I know you're planning something, but I'm probably better off not knowing any details."

"Yeah, that's what I figured you'd say," Bella agreed with a smirk. "I told Seth we couldn't count on you for any assistance…" she trailed off waiting for the light bulb to flicker on in his head.

"Wait! You said what to who?"

"Seth," she repeated calmly, trying her very hardest not to laugh when she saw Edward's eyebrows rise in an almost comical expression.

"Clearwater? Your colleague? The one you tag-teamed with to bring down that crazy stalker chick?"

"The one and only. He'll be pleased to hear that you remember him. Look in the review mirror! The blue jeep, two rows down."

"He's here? You told him? He knows you're helping me?" Edward shifted in his seat, looking piqued. "What happened to doing things on the sly and keeping things on the down low? I thought you said no secrecy, no hidden agendas…"

"I lied. We're in a bit of a time crunch here, Edward. I need to be back at work after New Years. That leaves me with less than two weeks to work with. I'm sorry I brought Seth here without consulting you first, but he's the best reinforcement there is. He's the biggest tech nerd I know of and he does these sorts of things for fun."

"What sort of things? No wait – I'm better off not knowing!" Edward decided, shaking head. "I can't get caught up in anything illegal. I have kid to feed, house and clothe. I trust you enough to let you handle this your way, but if anyone ask I'll deny all knowledge of this conversation."

"Finally he's getting it! Give the man a cigar" Bella joked, before turning serious. "We have it all worked out. It will be a small operation that involves little to no risks. We're not planning on getting caught, obviously, but if the shit hits the fan I'm willing to take all the blame. I don't want anyone to get hurt, especially not Anthony. Okay?" Tilting her chin slightly, she fixed his gaze with her own. "And just so we're clear, I'm doing it voluntarily."

His eyes flickered away from her face for a brief second before he nodded grimly in silent agreement. "I want this whole mess to be resolved as quickly as possible."

"So do I Edward, so do I. And as always timing and preparation is everything." Reaching into her handbag Bella pulled out what looked to be a pink Ipod, but with a strange looking, external battery. "Video cam," she explained when she saw Edwards questioning look, as she unzipped her jacket and clipped the device to the front pocket of her shirt.

Next device to be pulled out of her bag was an earpiece that she connected to the ipod-slash-camera thingy. "Comm. unit," she told him before he had a chance to ask.

The third and final item she showed him was small enough to fit in the palm of her hand. "Pretty nifty, eh? It looks like a brooch and you pin it to your clothes like this."

"Let me guess, that's some sort of laser gadget that cuts through steel."

"Nah, I left all my fancy laser gadgets at home. This my friend is a R22 receiver. It picks up signals from wireless clients, such as security cameras, key card readers, mobile workstations etc. Very useful when you're trying to gain access to restricted areas."

"I'll take your word for it!" Edward replied solemnly. "Please, whatever you do, don't make me regret this…""

"So, does that mean we have a go?" Bella asked for clarity.

"I've already agreed, haven't I?"

"Good, because now would be a good time to get the little guy awake and out of his car seat."

.

xXx

.

"Good morning and welcome to the Harvey Health Center, how may I help you?"

"Hi, we are here to see Dr. Foster." Bella took the lead, stepping up to the front desk.

"Alright, my name is Anna and I am going to help you register for your appointment. What's the name of the patient?"

"Anthony…. Anthony Cullen," Bella answered the question without any hesitation.

The name sounded strange in Edwards ears – like it was somehow wrong to be addressing the child that way.

The nursing attendant typed a few things into her key board, and then looked up. "May I please see some form of identification?"

Edward stepped forward and set the Anthony down on the counter. Pulling out his wallet he handed over his driver's license and insurance card. "I have some legal documents, they should work as temporary id for the boy, or so I've been told," he explained awkwardly, with a bit of a blush tinting his face.

The woman pushed her glasses up higher on her nose and took a closer look at the documents in question. "That's alright, everything seems to be in order. This is a free clinic so anyone can come in for a consultation, no questions asked," she explained and smiled at them reassuringly. "Please have a seat in the waiting room and someone will come get you when it's time for your appointment."

"Actually, seeing as we are quite a bit early, would it be okay if we linger in the hallway for a while?" Bella asked, seemingly innocently, her mind already busy with taking visual stock of the layout of the place. "Our boy slept in the car and we just woke him up. He's kind of shy."

The woman nodded. ""I can't see why not. Don't wander off too far, though!"

And as easy as that the plan had been set in motion.

.

xXx

.

Half an hour after arrival and the infiltration of the Harvey Health Center was in full swing. Having managed to slip into the staff-only-area, Bella swiftly and silently moved from one room to the next, in her search for an unlocked, unattended workstation.

There was probably no easier way to gain unauthorized access to a network than simply walking up to an unattended computer. You'll need to crack the password of course, but once that is done, you're in... Passwords are perhaps the weakest links in the cyber-security chain. Far too many people end up using passwords that are easy to type and remember, and thus, easy to guess.

The second best option would be to find the actual hardware, the server room, and hack into the system from the inside… but that's a hell of a lot riskier, not to mention more time consuming.

Either way, Bella knew she had to step up her game. So far she'd managed to stay unnoticed, but every now and then she'd see a glimpse of someone in white lab coat or salmon-colored scrubs. The risk of getting caught increased with every passing minute. Just as the though flitted through her mind she heard the patter of footsteps behind her.

Ducking behind a coffee machine, Bella narrowly escaped a face to face confrontation with a group of nurses who appeared to be heading outside for a smoke. She flattened herself against the wall and waited until their lively chatter had faded to a distant murmur echoing dimly in her head.

With the coast clear she continued her search.

.

xXx

.

"Hey, hey, hey! Anthony don't touch…" CRASH"…anything!" Edward hollered, watching in horror as the boy knocked a tray of scissors and other sharp looking tools to the floor.

"My, you're certainly a lively one!" Dr. Foster chuckled. "Let's find you something else to play with," the physician suggested, steering the boy in Edward's direction, who immediately scooped him off the floor and into a rather brusque embrace.

Anthony did not like being restricted by his fathers arms. Squealing, he flared his own arms around like a possessed windmill, knocking over several more items in the process.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Edward apologized profoundly, while struggling to get the boy seated securely in his lap. "I should have known better than to let him roam free like that."

"Don't worry about it! He's acting his age, that's a good sign given what you've told me about his background."

With a reassuring smile the young physician pulled out a latex glove and blew it up like a balloon.

"Honestly, I'd be more alarmed if he wasn't as alert and active as he is, considering that he might not have been given enough nourishment to allow for proper growth," he added, while he tied the glove to seal it

The child watched in mute fascination as the strange looking balloon creature got a beak, two scrawny legs with claws and a set of eyes, courtesy of a permanent marker.

"There you go, Chuck the rooster," Dr Foster smiled, as he presented Anthony with his new toy.

.

xXx

.

"You're giving me nothing to work with, Swan" Seth whined over the comm. unit. "You need to find someone higher up on the food chain! Someone with a higher security clearance. Try to look for a lab or a private office."

Bella nodded, then realized he couldn't see her. She didn't dare using her voice for fear of drawing unwanted attention to herself so instead she settled for forming an OK sign with her forefinger and thumb in front of the camera she wore, hoping her collogue was paying attention to the video feed. Knowing Seth, though, he probably was.

He had certainly appreciated the bonus tour of the ladies room she had given him ten-something-minutes ago. Damn pregnancy bladder! Or maybe it was nerves… maybe it was both… One thing was certain, this was not good for her blood pressure.

Seth had offered to swap places with her, more than once. He was the brain behind the operation and would have gladly taken on the role as the point man. He knew his stuff and worked extremely fast, but it hardly seemed fair to put him in a position where he'd be the one taking the heat if something went wrong.

No, she had to do this herself, there was no way around it. She just hoped to get it over with quickly without putting too much strain on her body and mind. As much as she hated admitting it, she wasn't exactly in the best of shapes. This 'thing' growing inside her was sucking out energy like a hungry pack of leeches on fresh blood. No wonder her boss was hesitant about reinstating her status as a field agent… The wild surge of hormones alone was making her in to this emotional wreck of a person that she'd never before been in her entire life.

.

xXx

.

"It looks like 'Chuck the rooster' did the trick," Dr. Foster commented with a smile. "So daddy, do you have any more questions before I call the nurse in here to start the scratch test?"

"Err no, not about the test, Edward said, racking a hand through his hair. "You explained that part really well, but I was wondering if you could help me with this other thing."

"Of course Mr. Cullen, tell me what it is and I'll see what I can do."

"Well…I'm not sure how to word this, " Edward admitted with a grimace. "This whole situation is very frustrating. This child is my son, my own flesh and blood, but I know very little about him. I'd like to change that, starting with his medical history."

The Doctor nodded in understanding. "This scratch test here today is good start. There are other test…"

"Yeah, I'm sure there are a bunch of tests that could be carried out, but that's not what I wanted to ask about," Edward interrupted. "Listen, I have reasons to believe that this is not his first visit here at this clinic. The kid has been living in the area for a while and I'm convinced that he must have received treatment for his allergies at one point or another. Is there any way you could look in your files... I mean how many kids could there be that have been treated for allergies in this clinic over the last three years…"

"You'd be surprised… Food allergies are more common now than ever before." Dr. Foster swiveled around in his chair to access the computer on his desk. "I'll give it a try, but I can't promise anything."

"I realize it's a long shot, considering we only have his Christian name and his birth date to go on."

"You said he turns three in January…"

"Yes, on the 24th."

The man tapped some keys and there was a faint rumbling. The search took a while. It felt like minutes, but it probably wasn't much more than a few seconds. "I've got three matches on that birth date."

"Great, what can you tell me about them?" Edward asked shifting the child in his lap, so that he could get a better angle to look at the computer screen.

"The first one is… a girl." Dr. Foster clicked a few times with the right mouse button. "The second one, I'm afraid, is also a girl… but the third one is a boy. "

"What's his name?"

"I can't tell you any specific information, that would be a breach of confidentiality. However, what I can tell you is that his name is not Anthony and he was not treated for allergies and I see nothing in his record that points towards your son."

"Oh…" Edward's face fell. "Are you sure it's not him?"

"Positive!"

"How about if you search for his christian name? Can you do that? Can you see how many Anthony's that's been treated here?"

"Hm.. That would be… 316…. over the last five years. It's quite a popular name."

"Alright, but can you see how many of those that are under the age of three and whether or not they've received treatment for allergies?"

"I'm sorry, no, that is simply not possible. I'd have to click on every single name on this list and read through every single record to get the information you need. This is a free text search so it finds any matches of the phrase you type in. Christian name, middle name, last name, street address, next of kin… "

"I get it," Edward shook his head in defeat. "It would be too time consuming."

"I wish I had the resources to help you," the doctor said looking genuinely sympathetic "But as you know, this is a free clinic and my time is stretched thin as it is."

.

xXx

.

Having muddled through a network of twenty something units, Bella finally stuck gold - a set of double doors with the text "Server room" spelled out on the right hand door in giant, blocky letters.

Eyeing the large rectangular entrance from across the hall, she surveyed the corridor from signs of movement. The room was locked with one of those high security electronic locks, complete with a keycard reader that required both I.D card and pincode….

Bella pulled a screwdriver out of her pocket and began unscrewing the panel. Seth had prepped her for this. She knew the steps; dismount the card reader, demagnetize the unit, re-work the wiring. She wasn't sure how or why it worked, she just knew it worked.

She never got a chance to test her new-found skills though. The console suddenly blipped and the access lamp went from red to green. She jumped like a startled deer, a reaction which apparently amused her colleague greatly because she could hear him taunting her over the comm. unit.

"Bloody show off," she muttered as she slid inside the room and closed the door behind her. "Another minute or two and I would have worked it out myself… I'm not a complete klutz you know."

"An inch of time is an inch of gold, my friend" came the reply. Security panels was another one of Seth's specialties; there wasn't a lock he couldn't pick or an alarm he couldn't dismantle.

.

xXx

.

Edward sipped slowly at his Coke while he waited for Anthony to grow tired of the play set and come back to eat the rest of his food.

He glanced at his watch and then looked up, comparing the time with the clock on the wall.

12:06

He sighed and leaned back in his seat. The smell of greasy hamburgers and French fries was making his already nervous stomach toss uncomfortably. Waiting for Bella at the McDonald's restaurant across the street from the clinic had been his own idea, though.

He finished his coke, the ice cubes already long gone. People came and went. Edward paid them no attention, instead he let his eyes dart between Anthony and the clock on the wall. The sound system was playing some new rock song that he didn't recognize and he realized it had been a while since he had kept up with the current music.

He looked at his watch again.

12:09

Damn…. Time was moving so slowly it seemed as if it wasn't moving at all.

Bella had told him she'd meet him there at noon. How long should he wait? What should he do if she didn't show up? Find Clearwater? Take the kid and go back inside himself? Sit tight and do nothing? None of those felt like good options.

.

xXx

.

"Gross, Swan. Was that a fart I just heard?" the comm. unit crackled in her ear.

"Very funny!" Bella replied in a muted tone of voice. "No, it was just my stomach growling. I'm starving. If I'd known how much running around you'd have me do, I would have brought some snacks."

"Don't think I didn't see that Twinkie you stole from that poor woman whose desk draw you raided!"

"I did no such thing! Now, shut up and let me concentrate! What exactly is it that I'm doing here? You want me to plant one of those key loggers?"

"No, we don't want to leave any traces behind. I can't really see the room all that clearly, so you have to describe to me what we're dealing with. Like for starters, how many racks are there?

"Racks, that's the metal frames that holds the hardware. right? There is only one giant tower thingy. So one rack, but possibly several servers, I guess."

"If the front of the rack has a door you're going to need to open it to see the hardware trays."

"There is a door, but it's locked. No wait, there's a hinge mechanism, " she announced as her fingers felt their way down the side of the door. "I'm in! Anything in particular I should be looking for?"

"How about we start with a tape drive," Seth suggested. "It looks sort of like the front of an old fashion VCR player, with an eject button and a deck where the tape slides in horizontally. The size of the slot varies depending on what tapes they use. DLT tapes are about one inch high and 3,5 inches wide."

Bella bit her lip in concentration as her eyes moved methodically over the space, from left to right, top to bottom. "I can't find anything that looks like a VCR or cassette deck. I think I've located a cd rom drive, though, if that's of any help."

"Don't worry, the absence of a tape drive is good news. It means that they might be using an external USB Hard Drive for backup. "

"Oh…external as in plugged in externally?"

"Yes. It shouldn't be too hard to spot. The disk is either USB powered or self-powered through an AC adapter. Look for power cords and what they are attached to."

"Okay, hold on!" She let her eyes run over the rack all over again. "Is this it?" she asked pointing to a black rectangular box shaped device with three yellow lights in the front.

"No, that's a router. Keep looking. "

"What about this one?" she pointed to another similar shaped piece of equipment.

"Not sure. I can't get a clear visual. Can you take a step to your right? You're blocking the light."

She followed his instructions. "Better now?"

For a moment there was only static over the comm. unit. "Yes, and yes, that's the one we're looking for. If that's an actual, functioning backup disk then we've just struck gold. How about we make our own little bootleg copy of it and call it a day."

"That's it? There must be a catch somewhere. I refuse to believe that it's this simple."

"No catch…other than the fact that cloning a hard drive can take anything from fifteen minutes up to a day or two."

.

xXx

.

Tired, hungry and hormonal, Bella walked through the doors of the McDonalds restaurant at exactly a quarter to two in the afternoon. She would have been there sooner had she not been forced to make a small detour to get her backpack into Seth's waiting and eager hands.

Now that the work portion of her day was over and done with, all she really wanted was to do was to sink her teeth into a juicy cheeseburger. She was actually hungry for once and fully intended to stuff her face with every decent tasting bit of food she could get her hands on.

Edwards unruly mop of hair was easy enough to spot. He appeared to be alone, though, which had her a little concerned at first. Then she saw two little feet sticking out at an odd angle from behind him and realized that the little guy was climbing on the back of his daddy's chair.

Neither one of them saw her approaching, and therefore they both reacted with startled surprise as she plopped herself down on one of the empty chairs at the table.

"Jesez, Bella!" Edward tried to sound angry, but he seemed more relived than anything else. "You scared me half to death!"

"Only half?" she teased in an attempt at lightness. "I must be losing my touch."

Was that worry she had seen flicker across his face? She felt an odd pressure in her chest. It had been a long time since she had had anyone worrying about her.

.

_**AN: This was a difficult chapter to write because of all the technical details involved. I'm not an expert on the subject, far from it, but let's see if we can break it down and separate fact from fiction…**_

**What is a Keylogger?**

A keylogger, is a hardware device that monitors each keystroke a user types on a specific computer's keyboard. The device is similar to a flash drive and is easy to hide "in plain sight" since most workstation keyboards plug into the back of the computer. Once keystrokes are logged, they are hidden in the device for later retrieval, or shipped raw to the attacker.

**…and a R22 receiver?**

Doesn't exist. I made that one up. There is something called X10 wireless technology receiver, though, which can be used to capture signals from wireless devices such as cameras. Pretty nifty, eh?

**Can you really just stumble upon a backup disk like that? What about off site backup?**

You really should store your backup off site and away from your office. What's the use of a backup if it will be destroyed in the same fire as the original. A lot of companies don't bother with this though…

**Tape versus hd**

There are several types of tapes that can be used for backup; DLT, QIC, Travan & DAT etc… DLT is prided as being one of the most reliable forms of backup. Hard drives on the other hand might fail after a year, or they might go 10 years. You never know. Today the HD backup method is significantly less expensive.

To achieve off site storage of your backup you'll need to use multiple tapes or HDs that you switch manually to make incremental backups (daily, weekly, monthly, etc)

**There must be a catch somewhere. Can it really be that simple?**

I'd like to believe that medical facilities that handle confidential records have competent IT personnel and strong security for their servers. I know first hand, though, that that is not always the case. A few years back I had the opportunity to peak my head inside the server room at a dentist office… what did I see if not a an external backup hard drive… upon investigating further it became clear that it hadn't been plugged in for several days. . 


	22. Chapt21Breakfast musings & grandparents

_AN: I want to dedicate this chapter to my grandpa who passed away in his sleep last Sunday morning. I was reached by the news about his passing while I was writing on this very chapter. RIP, I know you're up there now, driving your bus and watching daytime soaps with grandma._

_Edited 2011-09-19. Just changed pb to marshmallow fluff. Scary how fast I frogot about that allergy I gave Anthony! Good thing I don't have kids of my own!  
_

**Chapter 21 – breakfast musings and grandparents**

"Anthony," Edward sighed and put on his best stern, adult voice. "Stop rubbing! The chair will topple over you if you keep going like that!"  
"Owie," the little boy complained with a pout as he continued to rub his backside against the side of the chair.

"I know it itches, but you'll have to hang in there a little while longer."

The doctor had advised him to put an ice pack or a cool moist washcloth on the affected area to help with the itching. Only Edward didn't have any ice. The only thing cold enough he had available was what was left of the ice cream they had feasted on the previous night. It was a safe bet that the kid would go nuts if he saw the ice cream, but was told he wasn't allowed to eat it. That was one tantrum he wasn't going to subject himself to.

Using a washcloth seemed like a better option. It would have to wait until Bella was out of the bathroom though, because that's where all the towels were and Bella had pretty much barricaded herself in there the minute they got back from the clinic. Presumably she was grabbing a quick shower, but seeing as he hadn't heard the water running yet, it was beginning to look like it might take a while.

Of course Anthony being an impatient little guy, didn't quite grasp the concept of 'patience' and 'self control'. His whining quickly escalated into full blown crying, sending Edward into a mad search for something… anything… he could use instead of a towel.

He ended up sacrificing his very last clean sweater. Anthony was, as expected, less than thrilled with the prospect of getting wet, but eventually stilled long enough to let Edward brush the wet fabric against his back a few times.

The line of red dots on the boy's skin would be gone within 24 hours. The itching he was experiencing was an inconvenience, but as far as kiddie diseases went, it was no worse than a minor rash and definitely nothing to get worked up over. There was no telling that to the toddler though. The little guy moaned and moped like the world was ending… and he was good at it too.

It took Edward a good 45 minutes to get Anthony down for his nap. This particular afternoon the boys definition of unwinding involved snacks and cartoons and his fathers undivided attention.

When Bella finally emerged from the bathroom, Anthony was drooling on his fathers arm, not quite asleep but getting close. His eyes were drooping every few seconds but he stubbornly held on to consciousness until the very end of the episode of the Simpson's they were watching. Turns out it was the one where Maggie shot Mr. Burns….Way to give the kid ideas…

Bella declined the offer to join in on the nap, but agreed to give a progress report once the kid was asleep. She glossed over most of the technical details, but Edward got the gist of it all the same.

"So, nothing new then," he sighed deeply in frustration, causing Anthony, who was resting against his chest, to almost roll off the seat.

"Not really, no," she agreed watching Edward tuck Anthony's head into the crock of his arm. "These things take time, though. Seth's on a plane back to NY as we speak. He'll work his way through all the files on that disc. He'll let us know if he finds anything."

"But if he comes up empty, we'll have to do this all over again with that other clinic?"

"Well, sort of. We're going to need a different game plan when dealing with the Health South Parkway clinic, seeing as it has way more advanced security routines than what we encountered today."

"Because they are funded by UW Medicine? You do know that Carlisle used to work at the University of Washington Medical Center, right? I bet he has all sorts of connections that could come in handy."

Bella nodded. "I know that. I also know Dr. Cullen was forced to leave his position at the hospital after having been sued for malpractice cover-up. I figured he might not like being reminded of that whole ordeal."

"We usually avoid the subject, yes, but he was exonerated from all charges and besides it was over 20 years ago. I'm pretty sure Carlisle would be more then willing to get involved, if we tell him what exactly, we're looking for."

"Okay, it's your call. You decide how involved you want him to be. Remember our 'gray zone discussion'? I wouldn't want anyone getting into trouble over this, alright? " She fixed him with a determined gaze.

"I trust Carlisle, he's my dad, he's my ally," Edward nodded, smiling a little. "He sent me a text about an hour ago, warning me that he and Esme are on their way home. They'll be landing at SeaTac around seven this evening. Apparently mom is insisting that they stay the night at some hotel so that they can swing by here and meet their grandson before heading back to Forks."

"Oh, they are coming here? Tonight?" Bella asked feeling her stomach lurch. Not from nausea for once, but from nerves. She was so not ready for dealing with his parents.

Apparently Edward felt the same way because he was shaking his head firmly. "No, not tonight. Definitely not tonight. I told dad that Anthony is way too worked up after his doctor's visit. I'm going to have to meet up with them in the morning though, but I think I'll leave Anthony here with you, if that's alright?"

"Okay, that's fine, I guess… Your mom will be disappointed. Sounds like she's really eager to meet him."

"My mom is going to have a bunch of questions which will lead to a conversation that I'm not looking forward to. It wont be kiddy-friendly, if you know what I mean… Yes mom, I had unprotected sex with a random stranger. No mom, I didn't get her number… or her name. Why? Oh, I don't know, could be because I was drunk off my ass."

"Yeah, that sounds like fun," Bella agreed with a hint of a smile. "Better get it over with now, though, rather than waiting until the whole family is gathered for Christmas dinner."

"Yeah, that's what I figured."

"Oh, and Edward can you please swing by a Laundromat? Or a dry cleaner? There are only so many times you can turn your undies inside out."

His eyebrows immediately shot up and he smiled a bit crookedly. "I'm going commando today. Wanna see?"

"With the kid in the room. I think not!"

"Spoil sport," he called after her, as she hurried to leave the room.

v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v

"He really do look just like you, honey," Esme declared over breakfast the following morning. "He doesn't share your colors, but the facial resemblance is uncanny," she added after having studied the photo displayed on the screen of her son's cell phone a second time.

Edward rolled his eyes. "Next you're going to say I was a fool for not knowing straight away what the DNA test would show. I've heard this from Alice already."

"You see it too, don't you Carlisle?" Esme asked turning to her husband, who immediately nodded.

"Yeah, I can sort of see it," he agreed, swallowing down what was left of his bagel with a giant gulp of coffee. "I think we have a photo just like this one at home, don't we? One with all the kids, eating ice cream in just their undies."

"I know exactly witch one you mean, " Esme smiled. "You had it in a frame on the wall in your office for a while, but had to take it down because there were people who found it provocative because of the nudity."

Carlisle chuckled at the memory. "Yeah, that and also because little Eddie had a black eye similar to the one Anthony is sporting."

"Cute story," Edward grumbled, pushing his plate away. "But seriously, not even Alice was as tiny and skinny looking as Anthony is. Put this picture in your office and people will think I'm starving him."

"First of all, Alice was five when we first got her," Carlisle pointed out. "And secondly, just because the boy is a bit on the small side right now, doesn't mean he won't be developing just fine."

"Carlisle will monitor his health and make sure he gets the help and support he needs to flourish."

Esme stated it like it was a done deal… and apparently it was because Carlisle simply nodded in agreement.

"Of course. This reminds me Edward, you never did tell me how the scratch test went," he added, immediately slipping into doctor mode.

"He tested positive for peanuts and tree nuts for sure and also grass, tree, and weed pollens. No reaction on strawberries or any other food allergens, though."

"The strawberry allergen is very similar to the birch pollen allergens Therefore if you are allergic to birch pollen, you should also avoid strawberries because chances are you will also have allergic reactions to them as well."

"Oh, poor thing. You need to be careful," Esme said, patted Edwards arm. "Nut allergies can be potentially fatal. Isn't that right?"

"In some severe cases, yes." Carlisle nodded in agreement. "You should start carrying epinephrine with you, just to be on the safe side."

"I've got it covered. The doc we saw yesterday was pretty thorough."

"Good! Parenthood can be overwhelming, even in the best of circumstances. If you have any questions, medical or otherwise, don't hesitate ask me, alright!"

"I know… Actually…. Mom, do you think it would be alright if I could speak with dad alone for a few minutes?" Edward asked, signaling for the waitress, who was circling the table, to give them privacy rather than another refill. "We have a few… eh guy things we need to discuss."

"Is this about that night you spent in the ER getting your stomach pumped?" Esme asked raising one well sculptured eyebrow. "…because if it is, you should know Carlisle told me about it years ago."

"Gee, thanks a lot dad," Edward muttered, rubbing his forehead.

Across the table his father was mouthing 'sorry kid' in an apologetic manner.

v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v

"Eat your sandwich Anthony!"

"No!"

"One more bite, please! For me!"

His head moved from side to side. "Uh-uh."

Bella blew her hair out of her face and steeled herself for what was no doubt going to be another round of coaxing and pleading

"What do you think your daddy will say when he comes back and sees that you haven't finished your breakfast, Anthony?"

"Eda?"

"Yeah, that's right! Edward is your daddy and he loooves his breakfast!"

The boy threw his head back and laughed like it was the funniest thing he's ever heard.

Bella took advantage of his open mouth to stuff it with a spoonful of scrambled eggs from her own plate. He seemed to tolerate that better than the bread, because even though he quickly turned his face away, he didn't spit anything out and he didn't protest too loudly.

"You liked those eggs didn't you? We can trade. I'll eat your food, if you eat my mine!" She raised the sandwich again, but rather than offering it to Anthony, she took a bite of it herself, a really big one and then she chewed with exaggerated enthusiasm, knowing the boy was watching her every move with big, saucer eyes.

She moved to take another bite, but a small, unhappy sound from Anthony stopped her.

"You want it? You can't have it," she teased, moving the sandwich further away as he reached for it. She repeated the same stunt three times before she finally let him grab on to it. Anthony wasted no time sinking his teeth into the sandwich, obviously worried he'd loose his right to it if he didn't eat it quickly enough.

It was just a piece of bread, a minor food victory, but a victory none the less. Bella smugly patted herself on the back for a job well done and then went about finishing her own breakfast… or tried to finish her breakfast. She only managed two more bites of the scrambled eggs before the nausea hit full force and she had to clamp her hand over her mouth and dash for the bathroom.

When she came back Anthony had lost interest in his breakfast in favor of the milk container, which he had emptied all over the table.

Bella felt frustration fill her body, but refrained from raising her voice and eventually just sighed,"Can't leave you alone for two seconds huh? What is all of this?"

"Ups?" Anthony shrugged, splashing with his hands in whatever puddles he could reach.

"Yeah, oops!" Bella agreed, shaking her head. "Tell you what, I won't tell your dad about the milk if you promise not to say anything about where the eggs went, alright?" she suggested, scraping the remains of her plate into the trash.

"Kay," the boy nodded seriously, like he understood exactly what she meant.

Not for the first time she wondered how she had ever thought she could raise a child all on her own. Edward had only been gone half an hour and she was already utterly exhausted.

v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v

"Your brother is right, it was Peter. He drove you there himself and then made sure the hospital had my contact information before he left."

"So he didn't stick around, then?" Edward concluded, scratching the back of his head.

Carlisle shook his head 'no'. "You know Peter. Always on the move, never staying long in any one place. I only spoke with him in passing. He said he'd done a gig at some club and that you had showed up to see him. The two of you made plans to meet up afterwards, but you never got that far."

"Did he mention if our plans included other people?

"No, but I didn't ask and he wasn't volunteering much of anything."

"You were there with HER that night?" Esme cut in. "Anthony's mother?" she clarified, as if it actually needed to be said.

"I… I was drunk," Edward started, looking at his father for help. "When I first learned about Anthony existence, I was so sure he wasn't mine. I was beyond shocked when the DNA test came back, because I had no recollection of being intimate with anyone during those weeks I spent up here that year. I've retraced my every step and that night, the one when I ended up in the ER, is the only night I don't have full conscious memory of."

Esme shook her head, pursing her lips slightly. "I hope you realize how lucky you are to still be alive and in good health. Alcohol kills hundreds of people every year... as does unprotected sex."

"Mom… I know I-…"

"No, let me handle this," Carlisle intervened "Esme, remember how I told you they ran a tox screen on him when he was first admitted?"

"It came back negative for everything, except alcohol."

"Yes, the result pointed to a certain degree of intoxication, but was well under the level for alcohol poisoning. While it's true that he was in fact drunk that night, the reason he needed medical attention was because his body had an acute allergic reaction to something he ingested, which in combination with the alcohol caused him to have a panic attack on top of everything else."

"I know I was reckless." Edward hung his head. "I'll be paying the price for it for the next eighteen, something, years… That thought alone is enough to warrant shit loads of panic attacks."

Carlisle cleared his throat. "Perhaps we should take this conversation somewhere more private. Esme, I was thinking maybe you could …"

"…take a walk around the block," she finished for him as she rose from the table. "Don't worry about me. I believe I have some additional Christmas shopping to do now that I have learned I have a new grandchild to spoil."

.  
v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v

"I've got you now!" Bella smiled wickedly as she cornered the little boy between the bed and night table. She slung an arm around the child's slim shoulders and blew a raspberry on his stomach. The boy squealed with delight, flashed a big toothy smile.

"Come over here kiddo and step into your big boy pants."

At the suggestion of Emmett, who actually seemed to know what he was talking about, they were experimenting with pull-ups during daytime. This way they didn't have to pin Anthony down flat on his back for every single diaper change. Thank Heaven for small miracles. Even with a very wiggly child, getting the pull-ups off was quick - there were bits of tape on the sides to pull at, and the whole thing undone.

However getting Anthony to stay still long enough to get him cleaned up and into a new pair wasn't always an easy feat. He loved running around naked as apparently, according to Emmett, most kids did. Bella herself couldn't remember one single time in her childhood when she had set foot outside her bedroom anything but fully clothed, but hey each to their own. Maybe it was different with little boys?

Making sure she had a good grip on the little guy, she settled herself on the floor and began the tiring task of getting him dressed. She guided the child to stand in front of her as she, one leg at a time, threaded his feet through the leg holes of first his pull ups and then a pair of sweatpants.

"Good boy!" she praised once both feet were back on the floor. "We should talk to your dad about getting you potty trained. This shit isfor babies and you're a big boy, aren't you?"

Anthony gave her the DUH look and then proceeded to bring his hands up to her face, patting her cheeks a little too enthusiastically.

Bella laughed and scooped him into her arms to give him a noisy kiss. "Oh, my little prince, I'm gonna miss you when I go back to work." She tickled him under the chin like she had seen Alice do countless of times. The reaction was immediate.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch!" Bella half-shrieked, half-yelled, as Anthony arched his back in her arms, kicking his little legs against her ribs and upper torso. She got to her feet rather abruptly, pushing the boy away from her body by pressing her hand against his chest.

"No, Anthony! We don't kick or hit people!" she scolded with what she hoped was a calm, but firm voice. She half expected him to break into tears, but the boy surprised her.

"Uh, uh… inda nuts," he told her with a serious expression that looked so much like Edward that it was almost creepy.

"Sorry, sweetheart? What did you just say?"

"Eda say no kick inda nuts."

"Ah, yeah your daddy is right!" She smiled when she realized that he was referring to something that Edward obviously must have told him. "Kicking someone in the nuts is not nice!… Or the stomach," she added, pointing to her own midsection. "Bella has a sensitive belly. That's why she couldn't eat her eggs this morning and that's why you have to be careful with your feet, okay! "

"Trash Eggo," Anthony nodded wisely.

"Yeah, the eggs went into the trash. You're such a bright kid! Nothing goes past you, eh, eagle eye?"

v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v

"Given what I've found out about his allergies, there must be medical records out there somewhere with Anthony's name on them," Edward told his father, turning to the window to take in the view of the street below.

"Small children do tend to need medical attention a few times a year," Carlisle agreed, nodding slowly. "So the favor you mentioned… The Health South Parkway… You want me to ask around and see what I can come up with? Is that correct?"

"Yeah, something like that," Edward sighed. "I've been told it's a bit of a gray zone; time-consuming, resource-intensive and just plain unethical."

"Sounds to me, you haven't found the right person to approach... or offered the right reward. Money can serve as a powerful motivator"

"Oh, I'm sure you're right, but please, NO bribes! I don't want you doing anything that could reflect poorly on your character or reputation."

"I was thinking more in the line of a sizable donation," his father suggested with a shrug of his shoulders. "Nothing wrong in asking politely."

"That could actually work," Edward agreed reluctantly. "…but it's still not completely 'PC', is it?"

"No, seeing as those records you are hoping to gain access to, are still very much confidential. To follow appropriate protocol I'd say you'd have to get the police involved … or special agent Swan, perhaps?"

That last part was said with equal parts of curiosity and amusement.

Edward rolled his eyes. "You've spoken with Alice, I see!"

"Emmett actually," Carlisle admitted with a smirk.

"Why does that not surprise me?" Edward grumbled, as he resisted the urge to roll his eyes a second time. "If you must know, the police more or less told me that they didn't have the resources to help me. They advised me to hire a P.I…. And since Alice had already gotten Bella involved… "

"Alright then, but why aren't you taking this through the proper FBI channels?"

"Her involvement is on a voluntary basis, as a friend, not an agent… "

"I see…" his father said slowly. "So it's true then that the authorities think she's your live-in-fiancée? How is that working out for you?"

"Another one of Alice's little fibs. She thought a two-parent-household would upper my chances to get custody of Anthony. It seemed like a good idea at the time."

"But not anymore?"

"It's complicated… When together, our energy is like electricity; like neon lights on a dark rainy night… the problem is, more often then not, we find ourselves with a short circuit on our hands."

"In other words, you fight a lot?" his father guessed.

"She's like a drug, a toxic substance that I can't get out of my system."

"Emmett seams to think you still have feeling for her."

"Emmett talks too much."

"So… he's wrong?" Carlisle prompted.

"It's painful to be near her, knowing that I can't get as close to her as I want to; but the mere idea of letting her go hurts too. I've got to break this terrible cycle that I'm in, of pining and hoping, for someone that I probably shouldn't have been in love with to begin with. We're toxic to each other, it's as simple as that."

"Does Isabella know how you feel? Maybe you should try and talk to her."

"What good will it do? We're doomed to repeat the same mistakes of the past. Neither one trusting the other wholly. I know I was lied to and manipulated, yet, it seems I've never really gotten over her. I know it's petty and childish, it was high school for crying out loud, but I'll probably always think of her as the one that crushed my heart. Just like I'm always wondering, in the back of my mind, why HIM? What did he have that I didn't?"

He avoided his fathers questioning gaze, but before he could stop himself his lips were moving again, uttering words he'd thought he'd never say out loud to anyone, especially not his father.

"Jacob freaking Black, that's what's been brewing inside me. The feeling that I was looked over, tossed aside. I still remember it like it was yesterday. It hurt… a lot. And that, right there is what would poison any relationship that I enter into. So maybe in the end the toxic one is me."

The room was suddenly quiet, deathly quiet around him. Had he said all that out loud? No wonder the great Dr. Cullen was speechless, his son was acting like a loon, like someone that needed to be locked up in a padded room with a straight jacket.

"Edward," his father said his name with a gentle firmness that broke through his inner monologue. "Maybe this is the cycle you need to break. We've talked about it before. Many adopted children go through phases of feeling unworthy and undeserving."

"Don't give me that crap! I don't even remember my bio parents. The fact that I'm adopted has very little bearing on the life I am living right now."

"Maybe so... What I'm trying to say is that I think both you and Isabella carry around a lot of baggage. Yours more tangible and upfront, while hers perhaps more subtle," he paused, like he was still deciding on how to proceed, and then lowered his voice a bit and said, "has she mention her father to you lately?"

"Only in passing." Edward answered, feeling his forehead furrow in confusion. "I know that he's living in a nursing home in Florida. I know he's suffering from Alzheimer. I know you're the one that diagnosed him. I don't understand what this has to do with anything….You count him as her 'baggage'?"

"I obviously can't tell you much about it, because of the whole doctor-patient confidentiality thing, but let me ask you one question. Who do you think was left with all the bills when Charlie Swan couldn't cope with living at home any more? "

"Surely, he must have some sort of medical insurance. I know Chief Swan sold his house a few years back… They weren't exactly well off, but they weren't hurting for money either."

"The house was on the market for nearly two years before it sold. Think about it… Isabella was barely out of high school when Charlie's health started deteriorating. Who do you think helped her foot the bills and secure a spot for Charlie at that overly expensive out-of-state nursing home?"

"The Dwyer's?" Edward suggested, but then shook his head at the absurdity of that thought. "What exactly are you trying to tell me?"

"Esme wanted us to help the girl, but someone else beat us to it. I believe a certain Jacob Black signed his very first endorsement deal right around that time."

"F*ck! I knew it!" Edward cursed loudly, slamming his fist into the window sill. "She's told me he was a shoulder to cry on, that he was there when she needed someone. I even asked her once if the reason she dated him was because she felt she owed him something for the times he stood by her, but she swore that was not the case. I knew I was a fool for taking her word for it, when my every instinct was telling me otherwise."

His father grabbed his shoulder in a consoling gesture.

"To be fair, young Isabella had her financial situation sorted out rather quickly. She's always had a great head on her shoulder. She's has been her father's court-appointed conservator for many years now. I know for a fact that she paid her way through police academy on her own. I also know that by the time she became Mrs. Jacob Black, the sale of the house had been completed, leaving both her and her father debt free."

"But you think good ol Jake was manipulating the situation to his advantage, otherwise you wouldn't have brought it up."

"I think she did what she had to do to get through the day. She needed a shoulder, a listening ear, a helping hand…"

"…and I was a spoiled, immature, fucker that beat the crap out of her best friend."

"Your words not mine, but I think you might be on to something."

v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v

Edward stared in awe at the scene before him.  
He had found them in the kitchenette area, dancing in spastic accordance to the music blaring out from the radio. They obviously hadn't heard him come in, giving him this rare opportunity to watch them interact from his spot in the doorway.  
Anthony was bopping and grooving in that way that only small children can, bouncing on bent knees, gracefully stepping to the beat as a huge grin split his face from ear to ear.  
Bella was laughing and making silly faces at the boy, while her body was swaying and moving to the beat of the song.  
Edward knew that Bella, much like himself, had little to no experience with children, but he also knew that the toddler took to her like a cat to milk. It was plain obvious that Bella would make a great mother someday, an unconventional one perhaps seeing as she herself didn't exactly have healthy parental role models growing up, but a fun, loving and caring one none the less.  
If anything, he sort of, kind of, wished that it had been Bella that had birthed this child and not some random drunken one night stand. Even as the thought was crossing his mind he shoved it right back out, though not without great effort. It was counterproductive, not to mention hazardous to his heart, to be thinking of Bella in terms of a potential mom for Anthony. He was setting himself up for a serious heartbreak just imagining things could be different. Frankly he was better off not entertaining any romantic thoughts about her at all, PERIOD.  
But oh' how beautiful she was when dancing. She was stunning, radiant even, it was something he couldn't help but notice in spite of everything.  
Was it possible for a person to glow?  
Her haunting chestnut brown eyes were twinkling with laughter and her luscious, dark hair was shining and curling around her head like a halo of dark flames.  
He was secretly trilled she was finally letting it grow long again. Her hair had been almost waist length when he'd first met her in high school. He would have never admitted it at the time, but at eighteen he'd taken great pleasure in braiding and unbraiding those mahogany curls of hers. She'd cut it short once she got with Jacob Black, who according to the Forks high gossip mill, liked the sporty and tomboyish look on his girl. Funny, Edward could have sworn that Jake preferred busty, blondes…but whatever…. He'd always suspected the real reason Bella had chopped off her glorious curls was to give the knife in his back another twist. Either way she'd kept it shoulder length ever since.

Now, her hair hung free…as did her breasts apparently. She had a way of dancing, swaying her hips fluidly from side… swish, swish, swish… that made her tits bounce up and down in the most spectacular way. She raised her arms over her head, causing the fabric of her sweater to tighten… along with the fabric of his jeans. Great… Way to ruin a perfectly sweet, innocent moment!

Just then Bella swirled around and caught sight of him and in an instant, her movements halted and her smile died on her lips.

Edward frowned, suddenly feeling like an intruder. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt your fun."

Anthony jumped at the sound of his father's voice, accidentally bumping into Bella's legs and falling on his rear end in the process. His bottom lip quivered dangerously, but Bella was quick to lift him back on his feet before he had a chance to turn on the water works.

"You're forgiven," she spoke without looking at him. "...but only if you bust out some disco moves and join us."

Edward recognized the olive branch and ran with it. "Did you say disco? I can do disco!"

He strutted over to the middle of their makeshift dance floor and did his best his best John Travolta impersonation, complete with Staying-alive-esque footwork, hip thrusts and boogie hand rolls.

"Eda!" Anthony exclaimed, clapping his hands approvingly and then did his own toddler version of the dance move.

Bella countered by making the pulp fiction two-fingers-over-the-eyes move, adding a few extra steps of her own at the end to go with it.

…and then they were dancing.

Hardly any of the moves they made went with the music, but Anthony was having a blast, loving the attention they were giving him.

About two songs in Bella gestured that she had to make a break for the bathroom, leaving Edward alone to entertain the kid. They kept it going for another few songs until the next segment of commercials started and Anthony indicated that he though it was high time to raid the fridge for snacks.

.  
v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v

Bella caught them with two spoons and a jar of marshmallow fluff.

Both boy and man seemed to be in excellent mood and she contemplated briefly to fake a headache in order to give them more kiddy-daddy quality bonding time together. It was tempting, oh so tempting. After a frenzied morning of chasing after an unusual active toddler, a good nap seemed like a good idea. She decided against taking that route though, not wanting to give Edward more reason to be concerned about her health.

"What is this I see?" she asked, keeping her voice light and teasing. "Tired already, Travolta?"

"We're just taking a pause. Growing boys need to eat, you know..."

"Sure… I suppose marshmallow fluff is a decent source of energy, if you're a carb junkie, but at least put it on a slice of bread and throw in an apple for desert."

"Ai, Ai captain," Edward saluted and swept her up in a waltz like move, planting a sloppy kiss on her forehead.

She tried to draw back, but she was too slow and he wouldn't let her go. She had to settle for frowning disapprovingly. "You're in an awfully cheery mood. Your mother wasn't too upset, I take it?"

"Bringing pictures of the little monster turned out to be a good idea, thank you! And also, thank you for watching him this morning," he told her planting another kiss, this time on her cheek.

"Yeah well, nothing says 'thank you' like chocolate and… er, actually chocolate will do just fine," she informed him wiping her cheek with the back of her hand.

"One of these days we're going to talk, like REALLY talk and get everything out in the open. I'll get my mom, or Alice, to watch Anthony and we'll go away over the weekend or something."

"You just got him, you can't just hand him over to people he hardly knows."

"I didn't necessarily mean tomorrow, or next week… but if you're that antsy to get it over I could try and work something out. My mom did actually tell me to make sure to invite you to the annual Cullen Christmas shebang."

She shook her head. "Tell your mother thanks, but the Dwyer's are already counting on me to make an appearance."

"How about New Years?"

"Uh uh, no can do. That's when I go see Charlie."

"…and the week after that you have work to get back to. You really weren't kidding when you said you needed this wrapped up before Christmas."

"Uh, Edward, where is Anthony? He's being awfully quiet… "

She threw the question out there to distract him, but it was also true. It was never a good thing when the boy went quiet or when he wandered off on his own.

"He was right here two seconds ago, with that white stuff…" Edward commented, poking his head into the adjoining room. "Oh crap!"

"What?"

"How fond are you of your grey Nikes?"

"I like them, they are comfortable. Why do you ask?" she questioned, ducking under his arm to see what he was talking about.

"Looks like I'll be buying you a new pair for Christmas."

.  
v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v

Diary Dearest,  
I decided it was about time I made an effort with my writing. It's been a while…

So what's new in my life you might wonder… Well not much, really. My kid is still driving me nuts, although, some days are worse than others. Money is tight, I've picked up a second job, but I think I can handle it. Sleep is overrated anyway.

Now on to something a little more uplifting…I think it's time I write about the best night of my life… the night I FINALLY got my guy.

Nearly two years had passed since I'd last seen him. I was still stuck in rainy ole Seattle and not at college in NY like I'd hoped to be. I was still working on it though, knowing that one day I'd get the opportunity to look him up again. In the meanwhile I kept track on everything he did career wise. He'd become quite a composer, registering new songs with the BMI every other month, under the name of Eddie Masen. That's right; my baby had a stage name now.

The only remotely positive thing about still being stuck under my mother's roof was the fact that Edward's adoptive parents lived within a few hours drive from me. I took it as yet another sign that we were meant to be part of each others' lives. The Cullen mansion was huge and well guarded with gates, fences, cameras, the whole nine yards. I made quite a few excursions to the Podunk town that was Forks, WA over the years, but I only ever caught brief glimpses of his the Cullens.

In the beginning I'd managed to convince Maria to tag along with me, making each drive seem like mini road trips with satellite radio, pit stops and junk food. She grew tired after the third or forth drive though, telling me she wanted no part in my twisted Cullen-watching hobby.

We still keep in touch sporadically after that, but it wasn't the same. She kept busy with school and work and stuff and she definitely wasn't as in to the music scene as she used to be. She swore the music still moved her, but, I dunno, I think she was just humouring me….

It wasn't a secret that Maria didn't much like my stalker tendencies, she sought it fitting to tell me so every time I went over to her flarkin' hole in the wall java joint.

Still, when Maria spotted the familiar face of one certain Edward Cullen… in the flesh… in Seattle(!)… at her coffee shop of all places… she didn't hesitate to pick up the phone and call me. See, Cullen-watching can be pretty darn exciting at times!

Turns out my Eddie wasn't just passing through, turns out he was actually staying at a hotel across the street from Maria's workplace. She had photos of him on her cell phone and everything.

This, of course, called for further investigation… I staked out the lobby for three whole nights, but much like with my many trips to Forks, my efforts were futile. I didn't manage to catch one single glimpse of him. I remember thinking, at the time, that either the man was keeping really strange hours or Maria was pulling my leg. If I hadn't seen actual photo proof of her Edward sighting, I would have been inclined to believe that she was lying about which hotel it was that she'd seen him enter. Some misguided attempt to keep me from stalking him, no doubt.

Naturally faith was on my side though. I was just about ready to call it a day after yet another uneventful evening, when my luck suddenly changed. It started with something as innocent as a muddy flyer in the gutter. It was an invitation of sorts to a birthday bash; only the birthday kid wasn't actually a kid, but a local radio station celebrating five years of broadcasting. This is where it gets interesting, because headlining the event was none other than DJ Roaming Nomad or Roamad if you like. Ridiculous name, but the man was a legend; a local kid, a high school dropout that had to hit it big in the Tech-house scene. Incidentally he was also a Whitlock, and a cousin of Edward's long time pal Jasper Whitlock.

Apparently the three of them, Jasper, Peter and Edward, used to be real tight, band mates from what I've gathered, but that was before Peter had set out to 'do his thing', leaving his friends behind. I couldn't be sure they still kept in touch, but I felt convinced that Edward would not miss out on an opportunity to hang out with good ole Pete.

I knew in my heart that Edward would be there. He had to be there. Damn it! I just had to make sure he got the memo… er.. the flyer.

So I spent a fortune on having new and improved flyers printed; classy ones with glossy paper, full colour and professional layout. Then I went to town handing them out, making sure everyone and their grandma knew about this gig. If Edward did in fact stay at that hotel or anywhere within half a mile of Maria's Coffee shop there was no way he could have missed hearing about it.

Maria even let me put a giant poster in the window display, because apparently she found this new approach of mine way more acceptable than my previous one. I don't get that really, seeing as I had made it crystal clear that both intent and motive were still the same; to jump Edward unsuspecting bones first chance I got…. but whatever…

Less than three hours after the poster went up, Maria phoned me to let me know that she had seen Cullen check it out in person. See, I knew she was holding back on me. I'd obviously been staking out the wrong establishment.

Speaking of establishment; the club hosting the event turned out to be quite a fancy place, not at all what I had expected, when I first laid eyes of that wrinkled, cheap ass flyer. While the DJ and artistic line-up was free for all to enjoy, the vip celebration was invitation only, complete with the red-velvet rope and black-suited doormen and the whole enchilada. Not that that posed much of a challenge. 48 hours after I first learned about this 'birthday bash', I had managed to land myself a job with the caterer, serving finger food and appetisers at said event. One of their regular girls came down with stomach flu after receiving a chocolate-box-delivery from a secret admirer. So… yeah, not much of a challenge there…

Ironic isn't it? The very first time I meet Edward, all those years ago, was when I snuck into my brother's photo studio under the pretence of delivering refreshments. History has a tendency to repeat itself. Only this time I was older, smarter... and a hell of a lot more determined to take my rightful place in this world, shrinking back for no one.

OK, 'nuff for now. Sleep is beckoning me with cake and promises of lurid or at least quite interesting dreams.

_Love always,_  
_Angela Cullen_


	23. Chapter 22  Surprise!

**AN: **I've received a lot of reviews and questions that are pretty similar to one another so rather than repeating my answer over and over again I thought I'd post it here as an author's note instead. You'll find it at the end of the chapter….

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**Chapter 21 - Surprise!**

**.  
**

He watched her sleep, like he had done almost every night over the past week. Lingering in the shadows, staring greedily, hoping she would wake, yet at the same moment hoping she wouldn't. She looked tired.

Her ever present laptop was tucked away between the mattress and the back of the sofa. She'd been practically glued to that thing for days now, working her way through thenot-quite-legally obtained backup files, no doubt.

As it turned out, there had been no actual medical records among the data on the backup disk, only some dated backup copies of a database, containing contact information and details of past and future appointments, most of which were encrypted of course… One step forward and two steps back – or was it sideways? Either way there was an extensive amount of data that needed to be analyzed.

According to the clock on his phone, the time was 4:45 A.M. He had done his business in the bathroom, should be heading back to bed, but couldn't. Not without stopping for another glance of sleeping Bella..

They had settled into a routine of sorts. Bella would get up with Anthony in the mornings, leaving Edward to catch an extra hour or two worth of sleep. He had never asked her to do that, she just did. He made sure to return the favor by keeping the Anthony out of her hair as much as possible during the day. As long as the weather was not too cold, too wet, or too windy, he would bring the kid outdoors and stay there until lunchtime.

More often than not, they would return to an empty cabin. No Bella, no laptop, no car keys…. Exactly where she went he did not know. When asked about it she alwaysmuttered something vague about working remote and needing a more secure, and reliable internet connection. As long as she kept her cell phone turned on and replied to the text messages he sent her, Edward didn't push the issue. She always returned in time for supper, almost always bearing gifts in form of take-out containers or grocery bags.

After they had all eaten, Edward would get Anthony bathed and ready for bed. Getting the boy to settle down for the night was still a constant struggle, but once he was asleep, Edward would have three or four glorious hours of kiddie-free time. He usually went outside for a smoke or… seven and then took a long, nice shower before finally collapsing in front of the TV.

In all honesty, he didn't care one bit about what shows he ended up watching. It was more about the company, than anything else. Not that they interacted much, Bella was far to engrossed in typing on her laptop to engage in any lengthy conversations. He didn't mind, though, he knew their time together was limited and those quiet momentsthey shared were a nice change to the constant bickering.

He dreaded the day he would have to let her go again. Logically he knew it was unavoidable, he'd known from the start she wasn't his to keep. She'd already stayed way longer than she'd originally planned. Every hour he got to spend in her presence was a bonus. That's why, when the much anticipated phone call from his lawyer finally came, he kept it to himself.

Mr. Berger, had been pleased to inform him that the paperwork was notarized, filed and rubber stamped, meaning Edward now had temporary custody of his son and was no longer required to stay within the city limits. He would have to check in with the social service agency of his county of residence regularly for the next six months, but other than that he was free to pack up the child and go. However, that was one little detail he wasn't ready to reveal to Bella just yet…

He'd accidentally overheard a phone conversation, in which Bella had been telling someone, Alice most likely, about her plans for the holidays. He knew she wasn't flying out to see Renee until Christmas Eve and therefore he also knew that the best he could hope for was to keep her around till the 22nd… If he played his cards right, that is…

Ironically, he was now doing exactly what he'd accused Bella of doing the last time they parted ways; lying by omission, keeping secrets, sitting on vital information, not passing it on. His reaction back then had been to shun her over it; perhaps a slight overreaction on his part. The lapse of time had given him perspective. He still felt ill at ease over the fact that she'd kept him in the dark regarding certain aspects of the stalker case and the treats made against him. He'd come to realize, however, that his own short fuse and bad temper was at least partly to blame. The same thing could probably be said about many of the blowouts they had had in the past.

Funny how caring for a child make you look at yourself and your life differently. Before Anthony come along, he'd been a self-absorbed jerk without even realizing it. His parents clearly deserved medals for all the crap he'd put them through as a teenager. At eighteen he'd been so full of himself, so bullheaded, so stupid, so young. It made him wonder what the outcome would have been if he had acted differently regarding the whole getting caught-in-the-act-by-Chief-Swan situation, all those years ago. They say every action has an equal and opposite reaction. In hindsight it was painfully obvious that his own immature behavior had driven his equally young and clearly vulnerable girlfriend into the arms of another guy.

What was done was done though, there was no going back. All he could do was focusing on moving forward. He was going to prove to himself, and everyone else, that he could become the parent that his son needed. He knew that it would take time and effort, and a whole lot of patience, but if he could do that, he could do anything… maybe even work on some of his other issues, break some circles and bury the past in the past.

There was one circle he wasn't willing to break just yet, though; the sleep watching... For some reason he had developed this strange need to reassure himself that she was still there with him. This night was no exception. He tiptoed across the floor and crouched down by the side of the sofa. Like always he was struck by the delicate beauty of her face, but lately he had been struck by the vulnerability there as well. Even unconscious in sleep, her face showed signs of an inner battle. He wished she would let him into her private world, let him help her with this mysterious burden she seemed to be carrying. He knew that wasn't happening anytime soon, though.

Feeling unusually bold, or maybe just not giving a damn, he leant forward and kissed her gently on the forehead. She stirred, but didn't wake up. He sighed, waiting one, two, three seconds before getting up and slowly leaving the room on his tiptoes.

With one last, long, lingering look at her he quietly closed the door and slipped back into his own bed.

.

-'-

.

Bella hummed silently to herself as she worked on her computer. Suddenly, something caught her attention: voices, and not just one or two, several voices coming from the other room.

She checked the time at the bottom right corner of the screen – it was half past eleven. Not quite time lunchtime yet. Edward and Anthony must have headed back inside earlier than planned and also picked up some company on their way back from the playground, because she clearly heard a second deep, male voice filtering through the door.

Could it be another visit from the lawyer? Or maybe it was someone from Social Services stopping by again, unannounced this time? Alarmed she was on her feet and moving towards the door in no time. She didn't even bother to put her laptop down.

The first thing she noticed, upon entering the room, was that Edward was looking very calm, relaxed almost. Even Anthony seemed to be in an unusual quiet mood, climbing on his father's leg like a subdued spider monkey. It must be a good visit then, she concluded… Still, she didn't rest until her eyes had scanned the rest of the room and she had located the source of the unfamiliar voices.

After a quick once-over, she was stunned to realize the guests weren't unfamiliar at all. Blinking twice, she let out a surprised gasp. The conversation stopped and all eyes turned her way.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't my favorite super-secret-spy-agent-lady," Emmett McCarthy greeted her with a bright smile.

"Oh, hi guys!" she replied, feeling her own lips curve upwards in response. It was impossible not to smile when Emmett was flashing his dimples around like that. His son was pretty cute too. "Hi, Elliott!," she said, adding a little wave in the direction of the two-year-old, who was perched on his father's arm.

She couldn't be sure, but it looked like the boy might actually remember her. He'd grown heaps, in the months since she last had seen him. Baby Elliott was hardly a baby anymore, she mused. He was such a chubster, especially compared to his cousin, but then again he had some pretty big, sturdy genes to draw from.

"Tell me, Miss Swan, have you put your handcuffs to use lately?" Emmett smirked, draping his free arm around her shoulders, pulling her in for a one armed hug.

"No, I can't say I have," Bella laughed and scooted away from him, clutching her laptop in front of herlike a shield. "I left them at home. They are a pain in the ass to bring through airport security."

"That's a shame! I bet that coffee maker would still be alive if you had taken proper precautions," Emmett grinned, only to be hastily silenced with a jab in the gut from his brother.

"I thought I told you not to bring that up!" Edward barked, clearly annoyed.

"Come on, it was only a joke. I'm sure Bella already knows how claustrophobic you are and how you don't like being restrained orbound in any way." He lowered his voice and mockwhispered in Bella's direction, "I tied his shoelaces to a chair once. Big mistake, he nearly worked himself into a full blown panic attack over it."

"But he loves it when I hold him down with force and frisk him," Bella stage-whispered back, winking at Edward, who had turned about three shades of red from either anger or embarrassment or both.

"He also quite enjoyed himself that one time when I undressed, gagged and blindfolded him before I…" she paused for effect, acting like she was about to reveal something really juicy. "… before I left him tied up to a shower curtain rod at the gym for two hours." She paused again, a wicked smile curving her lips. "No wait, that wasn't Edward, was it? In fact isn't that what Rose did to you Emmett, when you forgot your first wedding anniversary?"

There was about a millisecond of silence, and then Edward roared withlaughter. "I've always said Rose is the one wearing the pants in that relationship. She really does have your balls in her purse, eh bro?"

"Laugh all you want. I have a very satisfying marriage. Nowadays I let her gag me and tie me up whenever she feel like it, special occasion or not. My d–i-c-k was limp for days after our last anniversary and it wasn't from trauma, it was from overuse. My little delicate Rose loves it rough and deep."

"Whoa, kiddies in the room!" Bella exclaimed at the same time as Edward hissed "Over sharingmuch!" and then went on to cover Anthony's ears in mock disgust.

"What? Don't look at me like that! Blame Bella, she was the one that brought it up."

"You're full of fu-... , shi-…bananas," Edward sighed in frustration, shaking his head. "It's official little El, your daddy has gone bananas."

"B'nanas are for monkeys, " Elliott stated matter-of-factly.

"Right on!" Emmett chuckled, "Oh, that reminds me, bro. Where are the snacks you promised?"

"Like you're getting anything now. Forget it!"

"Suit yourself, but I get cranky if I don't eat. Just saying…"

Ignoring his brothers comment, Edward focused on the kids. "Are you two hungry? Let's move into the kitchen, shall we," he suggested lifting Anthony into his arms. "I don't have any bananas, but I have apples. What do you say Anthony? Do you want some crackers and an apple?"

The boy shrugged, like he was saying 'who cares', which was odd, seeing as he usually was very picky about what he ate. Elliott on the other hand was quick to voice his love for crackers.

"Alright, that settles it, crackers it is, then. I might even have some cookies for desert."

"Daddy have too," Elliott insisted with a serious expression.

"Aww, thanks for sticking up for me, buddy!" Emmett gave his son a good tickle in the side.

"Da-d-dy?" Elliott managed to splutter in between spiels of laughter

"Yes?"

"Why does mommy have a ball ina bag?" he asked with a furrowed brow.

"Yeah, daddy," Edward smirked. "Please do tell, how your balls ended up in mommy's purse."

"Well buddy, you know mommy. She does have a lot of shi-… crap in that purse of hers."

"Is my ball," Elliott sulked, jutting out his bottom lip in a petulant pout. "I have, I play."

"Not with those balls you won't, they belong to mommy. Tell you what, though, we can stay here and play with uncle Eddie for another hour or two, but only if you promise to eat everything your uncle gives you; not just the good stuff, but the fruity stuff too. And also you have to promise to share the toys with your cousin. Can you promise me that?" Emmett asked his son in a surprisingly stern voice.

Edward had never really paid much attention to his brother's parenting style before. It was truly amazing to watch him go from his usual goofball self to being ûber parental and pedagogic, super dad in a matter of seconds.

"But Daddy," the boy whined shaking his head.

"No buts, I want a pinkie swear or else I'll let Santa know not to bring you any new toys."

The boy's little browfurrowed again as he thought it over."I promise!" he finally agreed, holding up his pinkie finger. "But no b'nanas!" he added in a serious tone of voice like the thought of having to eat bananas was a huge deal breaker for him.

"Okay," his father agreed. "But if mommy asks, you tell her we ate bananas not cookies, alright?"

"Okay," the boy nodded and then turned from his dad to his uncle with outstretched hands. "Have cookies, please!"

"Hold your horses kiddo, you can't start with the desert. That's not what we agreedon," Edward ruffled his nephew's hair and then handed both boys a handful of gold fish crackers each. Then, taking a hint from his brother, he added, "I only have one juice box so you guys will have to take turns and share. Can you do that Elliott?"

"Want me to round up something else for the boys to drink? I bet I could find som-..." Bella started, but then stopped when she felt a tug on her arm.

"Don't," Emmett shook his head. "It's that one juice box or nothing at all. Little El is not used to share with others and Tiny Tony, here, is not used to being around other kids at all... so…."

"Oh? Is that why he's so quiet?" she asked, motioning with her head towards Anthony.

"Not a word since we got here," Emmett nodded. "If we can get them both to sit down next to one another and sip juice from the same straw, it would be a huge achievement."

"The same straw?" Bella frowned. "Emmett are you absolutely sure it wasn't the chickenpox that had him breaking out in hives the other week?"

"Aww, Jelly Belly, who knew you were such a worry wart?" Emmett teased. "It was just some silly diaper rash. Nothing contagious, I promise."

"Jelly, Belly," Elliott repeated around a mouthful of crackers and then burst into a fit of giggles, sending crumbs flying anywhere.

"It's a nickname, silly. Like you're little El and I'm big Em and uncle Eddie is Eddie Spaghetti…" Emmett explained patiently to his son."...and our new friend, little Anthony over here, is Tiny Tony."

This time Bella caught on much faster. Reversed psychology, she could work with that. "Oh, I get it. Tiny Tony, because he's still just a baby... He hardly even talks, " she said, knowing full well that Anthony didn't like being called a baby.

"Exactly! Tiny Tony because he such a little guy."

"No!" The reaction was instantaneous. "I Tony, I big," came a small, but determined voice.

"Of course, sorry, buddy!" Emmett apologized in earnest. "You're Tony the Tiger. When you roar thesky itself will shake!"

"I tiger, I bite," Anthony nodded approvingly and bared his teeth, letting out an adorable little growl.

"See, I told you he's a clever little bugger, " Edward informed, almoast proudly. "He's just a little behind on his growing curve, that's all."

"Keep feeding him real, manly food and he'll catch up in no time."

"Manly food, really? What kind of food is that?" Bella asked in amused curiosity.

"Well, you know, meaty dishes like beef… and steak… and ribs… and burgers… and stuff like that. No need go overboard with the green stuff. Vegetables taste about as bland as they look."

"Veggies are for monkeys," little Elliott piped up helpfully.

"Naw, buddy. That's bananas. Veggies are for sissies," Emmett chuckled. "But don't let mommy catch you saying that, alright?"

"Speaking of Rose, is she in Forks already or how come she let you two goofballs out on your own?"

"She'll be here with Alice and Jasper in two days. The girls have a spa appointment they didn't want to miss and Jasper has to work a few more days."

"Does mom know you're here? Because she wanted to see the kid so bad, but I asked her to give me a few more days alone with him. Now, she's going to be miffed that I let you beat her to it."

"We're planning on surprising her. Why don't you pack up the kid and come with us? I bet she would love that."

"He's not allowed to leave yet, for legal reasons," Bella cut in. "You still haven't heard anything on that front, right Edward?"

"Actually…" Edward grimaced. The moment of truth. He had promised himself he wouldn't lie if she flat out asked about it. "As of a few days ago, I'm free to relocate if I want to."

"Really?"She fixed him with a questioning stare. "The papers are notarized and filed with the court?"

"Yes."

"How long have you known? Why didn't you tell me? I have plane tickets that need to be re-booked."

"Sorry, I didn't realize you were in such a hurry to get out of here," he shrugged in a nonchalant, yet slightly defensive fashion. "Didn't you promise Alice you'd stick around until could get back here. The 22nd, was it? I see no point in changing those plans now."

Bella bit back the angry retort that sprang to mind and forced a smile. "Maybe so, but I still wish you would have told me sooner."

"We're talking about seven measly days here. I know you're eager to get back, but your life will still be there waiting for you. One week is not going to change that."

"Seven days? A whole week, Edward? You've known for a whole week?"

"It will be a week if you stay till the 22nd."

"What if I don't want to stay?"

Edward didn't answer straight away. Bella looked at him. His face was grim. The few seconds they stared at each other down felt like hours.

Finally he sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. "No one is forcing you."

Seemingly forgetting their company, the two continued their staring contest, until Emmett cut them off with an amused chuckle.

"How long have you been married again?" he teased, obviously amused by their exchange. "Want me to take the kids outside, so that you two love birds can kiss and make up?" he suggested wagging his eyebrows.

"No," they both answered in unison.

"Good, more kisses for me then," Emmett hollered before laying a big fat one on Bella's cheek and then scooping up one little boy under each arm and leaving the room.

* * *

**AN: **

**Character growth**

Some of you have voiced your concern that Bella's character in this story is stuck in the same pattern. That she isn't changing; isn't evolving. She comes across as stubborn, manipulative, annoying, and obnoxious even. All very valid observations. In all honesty though, there have been some, albeit small, changes in her attitude. She has gone from not wanting Edward to know about her pregnancy at all, to wanting to tell him, but not finding the right time to do so. We all know that there will never be a "right time", but is there a good time? That's the question.

Edward is clearly overwhelmed with the reality and responsibility of fatherhood. However, I hope that you will agree that he is slowly but surely beginning to show signs that he is growing as a person. He is bonding with his son and he is starting to see the error in is some of his past actions.

Remember how Carlisle said in the last chapter that both Edward and Bella carry around a lot of baggage. Edwards more tangible and upfront, while hers perhaps more subtle. I think that's the key here, I think that's why Edward's the first one to realize there are circles that needs to be broken and past mistakes to own up to and learn from. Bella will get there too, she just needs a little more time. We don't really know much about what's going on inside that head of hers. She is very guarded and keeps her issues to herself. She hates to ask for help and show weakness in front of others.

It's my opinion that in order for B &E to get their happily ever after, they booth have some stuff they need to work through.

**What is Edward referring to when he speaks of breaking circles?**

This is actually his third attempt at making things work with Bella. **The first time around**, when they were still teenagers, it all fell apart when their parents forced them to spend a summer apart. At the end of the summer Edward returned to Forks only to find his girlfriend in the arms of another guy. Edward, being both jealous and insecure, didn't believe her when she told him things weren't like they seemed. Then again, he knew nothing about the issues she had been forced to deal with regarding her father's illness. He didn't have the full story. There were simply too many things going on in her life that she hadn't told him about. The final nail in the coffin came when Edward lost his temper completely and Bella, along with almost the entire student body of Forks high, got to witness him beat the crap out of Jacob Black. Bella's shut down all attempts at communication after that.

**The second time around**, eight years later, things fell apart when Edward learned that Bella, once again, had been keeping vital information from him (this time regarding the stalker case). Bella was only doing her job, but Edward felt betrayed when he realized that she had known the identity of the stalker for several days without telling him. His feelings were justefied, but once again his temper got the best of him. On the plus side he didn't beat anyone up this time, but he still overreacted and acted without thinking. All forms of communication were shut down again, only this time it was Edward that instigated it. He didn't stick around to hear her side of things.

It's an endless circle of bad communication that can chip away at any potential of a good working relationship. **Will ****third time be the charm**? This time around Edward is sensing that Bella is keeping something from him, but will he be able to keep his cool when he learns what it is? And if so, will Bella be able to let him in, trust him and truly open herself to him? See, this is what I mean when I say they both have issues they need to work through before they can get their happily ever after…

**So what is this baggage that Carlisle is talking about?**

_**Let's start with what we know about Edwards issues so far….**_

- he had behavior problems as a teen, with a bad temper and anger management issues. As a grown up he still has a short fuse and often acts without thinking. He's the jealous kind and sometimes lets that jealously get the best of him.

- he has reacquiring nightmares, often featuring James, the sleazy photographer. I would imagine he has plenty of nightmares of Angela, the vicious, abusive stalker, as well.

- he doesn't like being restrained or bound in any way. Except he sometimes let Bella get away with it (remember how she twisted his arm into a deadlock and pushed him up against the refrigerator?). It shows an increased level of trust. He just hasn't figured out what that truly means yet.

- he's prone to panic attacks. It's been awhile since he's had one, but it's been mentioned in passing a few times throughout this story.

- he's been drugged (and abused) in the past and is therefore somewhat paranoid about always remaining in control. When he loses control, he tends to work himself up into panic attacks.

- he's adopted and has insecurities about his self worth. He is sensitive to rejection and has a subtle paranoia that is expressed as jealously or possessiveness. He feels undeserving of being loved.

_**Moving on to what we know about Bellas issues….**_

-she's had an unconventional upbringing with a mother who, for many years refused to grow up and take on adult responsibilities. She was her mother's keeper, so to speak, from the time that she was a little girl until Phil came into the pictured when Bella was fifteen. Renee wasn't the warm, nurturing type to begin with and after marrying an aspiring politician she became obsessed with public appearance and status. Her mother is more manipulative than Bella could ever begin to fathom.

- she has daddy issues. For many years Charlie Swan was a distant presence, a shadowy figure in her life. Then as Bella became a teenager, Charlie became an overbearing, overprotective cop father who even went as far as locking her up in her bedroom in order to keep her home at night. That's not exactly a healthy father daughter relationship.

- she became her father's keeper of sorts, when Charlie fell ill and started forgetting things like where he'd put his keys or left his reading glasses. Charlie's forgetfulness quickly escalated to bigger things like neglecting to pay the bills, abandoning food on the stove and nearly burning down the house and mistaking his daughter for his estranged wife.

- she has trust issues. She's never had the luxury of having someone to lean on for support. Her instincts are to tackle life's obstacles on her own.

- she's careful about letting people in close, not having many attachments. She claims it's because of her profession, but clearly it runs deeper than that.

- she's been cheated on by her husband, and has hinted that her marriage was an unhappy one. Her reasons for marrying, or even dating Jake in the first place, are suspect. She has had very few healthy relationship in her life; platonic, familial, sexual, or otherwise.

- she was taking antidepressants for about a year, as a way to cope with her husbands passing. We know the marriage died long before her husband did, though, so her depression was perhaps more a result of guilt and broken illusions, rather than mourning a lost a love.


	24. Chapter 23 – The necessity of a plan B

**Chapter 23 – The necessity of a plan B**

.

"Look Anthony! It's snowing."

"Wha?" the toddler asked, trotting over to the window.

"It's snow flakes. Look how big they are and how slow they fall. Like big cotton balls."

"Ice?" the boy asked with big, wondering eyes trained on the moving objects in the sky.

"That's right, they are cold like ice. I keep forgetting how clever you are," Bella mused. "Tell you what, if you give me back my phone and the remote control, I'll help you push a chair over here so that you can climb up and have a loser look. How does that sound?"

"Have cookie?"

"You drive a tough bargain, just like your daddy," she shook her head in a bemused sort of way. Then she added, "Yes, if you sit still you can have one more cookie, but that's the last one."

She gave the boy a cracker and placed the chair on a safe distance from the light switch. He had been pretty good with entertaining himself all morning, playing semi-quietly with whatever 'toys' he could get his hands on. However, his newfound fascination with turning things on, then off, then on, then off, then on again, was infuriating - especially if you take into consideration that he had been at it since before the first light of dawn.

That was when the little guy had managed to, once again, find his way into the bag that held his fathers toiletries. Something Bella became acutely aware of when she was roused from her sleep, at five am in the morning, by the hum of Edward's electric razor and a tiny hand on her face.

There was a moment of confusion when she couldn't work out what was happening; why there was a small child with a piece of grooming equipment next to her bed, why said child was babbling incoherently, while trying to get a hold of her hair, and most importantly, why she was awake when the sun had yet to rise and peak through the shutters!

Then it all came back to her - where she was, why she was there, and the significance of the impending sunrise.

The little guy must have sneaked out of bed and gone looking for his toys, like he always did first thing in the morning. Only, this particular morning, there were no toys scattered across the room. All he could have possibly found on his hunt for his belongings were stacks of clothes, and shoes, and half packed bags… and his fathers toiletries, apparently….

The luggage, lined up neatly by the door, served as a painful reminder of just how fast the time had flown by. This was going to be their last morning in the cabin and subsequently Bella's last day with the Cullen boys before Christmas. Suddenly, getting an early start of the day didn't seem like such a terrible idea. There were only a few, precious hours left before she needed to head for the airport. So much unfinished business and unsaid words- so little time…

With a careful and steady hand she swiftly confiscated the lethal weapon from the toddler assassin and pulled him into her lap for a tight hug. Thankfully all his limbs were still attached to his body and his haircut was mostly intact… There was only one tiny, bald spot at the front part of the scalp… nothing too bad.

The boy remained still in her arms even after she was done with her inspection. It was rare that he let her cuddle him for any length of time, but some reason he seemed to sense her sudden need for a warm, fuzzy hug or two. She had known this day would come, she just hadn't expected to feel so emotional about it.

Anthony patiently endured the fuss for a good seven minutes before he grew restless and lunged for the TV remote on the nearby table. After that, he kept himself busy with Bella's cell phone for a while, before he moved on to the open/close button on the DVD player… then he found a light switch… and then it was back to the remote control again…

.

.oOXOoOXOoOXOo.

.

Eight o'clock came and went and Edward slept on. Bella wasn't going to wake him… well just yet anyway. She needed time to think, time to plan her next move.

Her time was running out. A nagging voice in her head, which sounded remarkably like Alice, had been berating her, non stop and without mercy, for not coming clean with Edward.

There was no denying it now, her Plan A was a bust. She had failed to complete the mission she had set up for herself. It had been a simple plan; just a few conditions she wanted to see met. The list had been reasonable short, only three boxes to tick.

One; give father and son time to acclimate themselves around each other. The fragile bond that little Anthony had managed to form with his, still somewhat reluctant daddy had to be protected at all cost.

Two; find the birth mother. Both father and son deserved some real, honest answers, for closure if nothing else. Finding this woman was all part of her master plan, a peace offering of sorts, one that Bella hoped would soften the blow when she finally spilled her news. 'Oh, Bella how can I ever thank you! Well, I don't know Edward, by not freaking out when I tell you I'm pregnant, maybe?'

Then there was the third condition; the selfish, irrational one. The one that revolved around the notion that she wanted him to want her for her, and not because of some misguided sense of obligation.

She seriously didn't know where she stood with him on that one. But mostly that was her own fault as she was the one shying away from all and every heavy conversation. She didn't know what she wanted from him. Which was very conflicting when all she ever wanted was him. She didn't know what he wanted from her… apart from another few rounds of steamy cabin sex that is.

Living in such close quarters made for made for plenty of innocent touches, and a few not so innocent ones. Lately he'd been uncharacteristically forthcoming with his wants and needs… and emotions…

Under different circumstances Bella would have found it amusing that the age-old gender roles were all but reversed – lately he'd been all for talking about feelings, her not so much - but her sense of humor seemed to have deserted her.

There was nothing laughable about her current situation. To tell or not to tell, was no longer the question. Edward needed to be told, she just hadn't figured out how to word it yet, and time was ticking…

The sooner she told him, the sooner they could work through this and just be together, like they were now.

She needed a plan B, but whatever plan B entailed, it'd have to wait because her phone was ringing like crazy.

The shrill notes of her ringtone brought her back to reality. With a weary sigh, she snatched up the phone, ready to take the caller's head off for the interruption. She didn't, of course, but her 'Hello' was not a particularly warm and sunny one.

"Agent Swan, this is Officer Franklin calling. Do you have a minute?"

The voice on the other end of the line was a little too chipper and obnoxious for her liking, but verbally abusing a police source was probably not the best course of action. Damn mood swings! Apparently this was going to be one of THOSE days….

"Not really, no, but I've been waiting for your call. Just hold on…. one moment…"

Bringing the phone with her, she forced herself off the couch, and hurried into the kitchenette area and the farthest corner away from the door behind which Edward was sleeping.

"Is this a bad time? I can call back later?"

"No, this is fine. I don't know how much time I've got, though, so let's skip the small talk and get right to it. What's up? You got news for me? What is it this time?"

"Officially, there is not much to report... Time is up. We're closing the investigation. There is nothing left for us to do now that Cullen has been granted temporary custody and the child is no longer ward of the state. Naturally we wish him the best of luck, with the kid and everything else. Can you please tell him that?"

"Why not tell him yourself…" Bella suggested in a low voice, checking over her shoulder to make sure the boy was still occupied with blowing air on the window, drawing faces in it, and also that the bedroom door was still properly closed.

"I would, but Cullen has requested that all communication should go through his lawyer, or through you, agent Swan. So I was hoping you'd relay this message."

"…about the investigation being closed? He's not going to like hearing that."

"It's not like I didn't warn him this was the most probableoutcome."

"True," Bella agreed, rubbing her forehead. "So if that was the official news, then what's the off the record scoop? What else can you tell me?"

"Well, first of all I think you should know that someone's been visiting several medical facilities in town, asking questions."

"What kind of questions?" she asked, feigning only a mild interest.

"Questions about pollen and nut allergies in two year olds. I don't know the specifics, but I've heard that a photo of a little boy has been passed around, among the pediatricians and ER docs."

"Fascinating…"

"It is, isn't it? I've reason to believe it is Dr. C himself that is asking the questions. Allegedly there are promises of sizeable donations and hefty rewards floating around as well."

"And you feel I should be made aware of this because….?"

"Because there's a fine line between rewarding someone for coming forward with information and paying someone to disclose private and classified records. There's only so much leeway I can give, without someone, somewhere shouting 'foul play! And we wouldn't want that now, would we, agent Swan?"

"Alright, I hear what you're saying. I'm not confirming or denying anything, but I'll look into it," Bella agreed with a sigh. "Now, is there anything else you want to get off your chest, Franklin? I've got a busy day ahead of me. "

"I thought you'd like to hear about the fingerprint that we have lifted, but if you're busy….

.

.oOXOoOXOoOXOo.

.

Edward could not see the rain pelting down on the windshield, but he recognized the sound. He blinked a couple of times, causing things to become a little clearer, but of course it only lasted for a fraction of a second.

It was as if his field of vision was constricted, narrowed down to tiny slits of darkness and what little he could see was not reassuring. As per usual, everything was very dark; the interior of the car, the figure looming above him, the scenery outside the windows. Dark, cold and shivering wet, which only confirmed his conclusion that it must be raining.

The only source of light he could detect came from some sort of recording device with a dimly lit display. He didn't have to see it to know it was there. It was a constant that never failed to make him uncomfortable. By now, he knew what to expect. The lumpy mattress on the floor may have morphed into an equally uncomfortable car seat, but even though the setting had changed slightly over time, the nightmare was basically always the same.

Until recently, he had never made it past the realization that one; his body was sluggish and unresponsive, two; his clothes were askew, missing even and three; there was a camera and another person in the room…or rather, another person in the car.

He tried to move, but a weight against his chest held him back, held him down, and no amount of resistance eased the pressure. Fear ripped through his guts. He couldn't breathe. There was fire in his lungs, ice in his blood and dread crawling in his skin, in his soul.

This was the part where he usually woke up. However, lately he had discovered that he could keep the panic at bay a little longer if he kept his focus on seemingly small and insignificant details in his surroundings. Colors, textures, sounds, smells, anything that could take his mind from the bodily sensations he was experiencing…

Darkness threatened to drag him under again and he wracked his memory for something—anything—to cling on to. The answer came in the form of Bakelite and the distinctive old car smell. Once you know the smell of Bakelite you will never forget it. There was a reason why the car seat was lumpy and uncomfortable; the car was of the older variety.

His train of thoughts were interrupted by warm, shallow breaths against his neck. Tendrils of hair brushing his cheek. A bite at his ear.

He felt hands in his hair, hands at the base of his jaw, hands running along his shoulders and then down his chest.

"Focus, focus," he chanted to himself, as a head to toe shudder passed through him. Vinyl seats, check. Bakelite, manual shifter knob, check. Chrome door handles, check… He couldn't recall the color, the model or the decade it belonged to, but the car was without a doubt an old classic. A Ford Mustang… maybe… he couldn't be sure. His thoughts were becoming more and more jumbled. The lack of oxygen was making him dizzy… and the anxiety level was making its way towards sky high…

Insistent hands was working their way into his pants. They were everywhere, rubbing and grabbing. While his body responded like any healthy male body would, his mind was threatening to have a complete melt down.

A guttural screeching sound filled the car, getting louder and louder until it turned into sobbing. Loud, wracking sobs

.

.oOXOoOXOoOXOo.

.

Edward jerked awake, bolting upright with a gasp. It took him a few shaky breaths to become aware of his surroundings again. In fact he was still gasping for air as the bedroom door flew open and light spilled into the room, chasing away the last remainders of darkness.

"Edward," Bella called out as she appeared at the door, balancing an visibly, upset Anthony on her hip. "See, Tony, everything is fine. Your daddy was just having a bad dream, that's all," she cooed, and carefully unloaded the child onto the bed.

Edward blinked a few times, momentarily distracted by Anthony's uncoordinated attempt to crawl into his lap.

"You okay, Edward?"

"Y-yeah, sorry… " he mumbled, turning his head towards her. As he did so he caught a glance of something through the blinds of the window. "Holy cripes!"

"What?"

"Have you seen the weather? Everything look alarmingly white out there," he rasped. His voice still raw as an after-effect of, well sleeping of course, but also his nightmare.

"Yeah, it's been snowing a bit this morning," Bella shrugged, while she watched an barechested Edward struggle with the sheets to get out of the bed.

"A bit? Look at that! We're about five flakes short of a snow storm,"

She followed his gaze to the window and, taking his lead, walked slowly across the room to peer through the blinds.

"Oh crap! It wasn't this bad five minutes ago. The roads are going to be terrible, aren't they?"

"I'd be more worried about the flying conditions, if I were you. Are you SURE you really want to get on an airplane in this weather?" The way he asked it made it clear that his question was not just about the snow.

"Yes, I'm sure," she answered. She had been over this in her mind a hounded times already.

She couldn't stay. She had a doctor's appointment to get to, a Christmas dinner to attend and a bomb to drop… Getting on that plane meant moving forward as opposed to stalling for time.

Bella blinked and realized she had spaced out again. She would never get to plan B, if she kept loosing her focus like that.

"Yes I'm SURE," she repeated, putting a little more emphasis into his phrase this time. "I will most definitely be flying home today."

"Just checking." He hesitated, as if debating with himself and then, stepping close, he grasped her chin, tilted her face up.

She expected a kiss, but instead she got what sounded like a "I think you should leave now" whispered in her ear.

"Excuse me?"

"If your mind is made up, I think you should leave sooner rather than later. To save time."

He had turned away from her as he'd spoken and was now busying himself with finding clean clothes and keeping Anthony out of his suitcase.

"If that's how you feel," Bella told his back while she watched him pull a shirt on.

When he turned around again, he looked calm and collected. But Bella noted that his lips were thin, a tell-tale sign that his outward calm was just a façade.

"Why is it always like pulling teeth with you?" He shook his head and muttered something unintelligible. "What I meant was that it's going to be a pain in the ass to drive in this mess. Especially seeing as you'll be driving a rental that's smaller, not to mention lighter, than a shoe box. Safety first and all that jazz…"

"Okay, gotcha!" Bella managed a weak smile. "So, I've been thinking about the best way to do this. What time will Emmett be here to pick you up?"

"Not sure, sometime this afternoon, why?"

"You think you could call him and tell him and tell him to be here before noon?"

"I'm not going to force him out on the road in this weather. Besides what difference does it make? The rental is all yours. You can leave whenever you please, and I don't have to check out until two PM."

"If your brother makes it here early, he can take Anthony in his car and we can drive caravan style to the airport. It's probably safer that way and also it would mean that you and I can have some alone time together… to talk, you know, during the drive. "

"Oh… Why can't we talk now?"

"Little pitchers have big ears." She shook her head, while sending a pointed look in Anthony's direction. "Officer Franklin called again this morning. You're not going to like what he had to say…."

"That's what you want to talk about?"

"Among other things."

"What other things?" He raised his eyebrows suspiciously. She waved the question away.

"Let's wait until we're alone in the car."

There it was, her plan B… It wasn't perfect, but it would have to do

.

.oOXOoOXOoOXOo.

.

An: So what do you think? I'm sure you all can guess where this is going… Bella will not get on that plane, because of the snow and instead she will end up in Forks for Christmas. The baby reveal is just around the corner now… I've also planned to squeeze in another lemon before this is all over.

The nightmares Edwards been having, are just that, nightmares. They don't describe the exact way everything played out in real life. Meaning he wasn't drugged, blindfolded or locked inside that car against his will. The original nightmare that he has been having for years is about what happened in that photo studio, all those years ago, but lately the dream has been morphing into something else.

As a side note I can mention that I had originally planned to make the car a Volvo Amazon 122S, which is what my father drove when I was a baby, but I ended up changing it to fit the story better.


	25. Chapter 24 And off they go

**Chapter 24 – And off we go….**

**.**

No, no, no… This was not how it was suppose to go down!

"What do you mean closed off?" This exclamation could be heard ringing through the snow filled parking lot of Lakeside Garden resort as Bella stared in disbelief at Emmett McCarty.

"Closed off as in snowed in…as in all flights are cancelled," he clarified as he opened the rear hatch of his Jeep. "Now, let me take those bags for you. I know you're an independent gal and all, but I want to keep this cold, wet sh- stuff out of my car."

"WAIT! It can't be snowed in. It's only been snowing for a few hours and I've checked the website multiple times this morning. I've seen no reports about flights being cancelled."

"Sorry to thwart your plans Swan, but there is really not much I can do about the snow," Emmett shrugged, as he easily wrestled first one and then the other of her two bags out of the iron grip she wasn't even aware she had been resorted to.

"No, not that one. I need that one," she protested reclaiming her laptop case, nearly slipping on a patch of ice in the process.

Emmett cursed eloquently, but resigned to give her a helping hand as she struggled to regain her balance. "See, snow is evil. Snow is what happens when the atmosphere solidifies and falls on your head." He made his point by scooping up a handful of snow, pretending like he was going to throw it in her face. He didn't, instead he shoved it in his brother's direction. "Quit stalling, Eddie! Get over here and give me a hand!"

Edward, who narrowly escaped getting hit square on, scrambled for the nearest suitcase to use as a shield.

"Not with the luggage, stupid. I got that covered…,"Emmett grunted with a dismissive shake of his head. "Get the girl and the kid into the car, before we all turn into ice cubes,"he instructed impatiently, taking the suitcase from Edward, while muttering, "And they think I'm the slow one…" under his breath.

For a moment Edward considered picking up a handful of snow on his own, but in the end he decided against it. He was not dressed for this weather, none of them were. So rather than retaliating he took the hand of the little boy that was hovering in his shadow, and turned towards Bella. "It pains me to admit, but I think my meat head of a brother is actually right for once," he relented with a scowl.

She shook her head. "I checked it every ten minutes until my connection died. There were no cancelled flights, Edward. Plenty of delays, sure, but that's only to be expected, right?"

"Right, but come on. Look around, if it isn't closed down already, it will be real soon. It's been over an hour and a half since both our internet connections died; an hour and a half of constant snowing. I'd offer to call the airport for you, but I have like zero phone reception right now."

"No. It can't be closed," she whined like a petulant child. "There were no cancellations, not a single one, nill, nada, NONE. Are you sure about this Em?"

"Yep, Rose was supposed to fly in this afternoon, remember?"

Edward frowned, "So does that mean they are all stranded? Rose, Alice and Jasper?"

"Well, not necessarily. There is nothing wrong with the weather in NY and besides you know Alice… She's been on the phone with the airline non stop since she woke up this morning. As usual she just knew what was going to happened, before it happened. They are on various standby lists for all available Portland flights, departing within the next 24 hours. So I guess all we can do is to wait and see."

"Portland?" Bella repeated it like it was a foreign word. "And hey, if she knew the weather was going to turn bad, why didn't she give me the heads up? She knew I was planning on flying home today."

"It's Alice we're talking about. Do you really need me to answer that?" Edward asked dryly.

Bella groaned in frustration. "She wants me to tag along to your parents place for Christmas," she guessed turning to Emmett for confirmation.

"Ah, yeah pretty much," he nodded. "We all do, Swan, but don't let it get to your head. Now get in the car before I freeze my ass off!"

"Sorry, but that won't work for me. How far is Portland? A five… six…. hour drive, right? That means if I start now I could maybe make it there by nightfall."

"Seriously, Bella…" Edward crossed his arms over his chest. "Stubborn is one thing, but sweetheart, this is ridiculous."

"Don't 'sweetheart' me! If they can fly in, I can fly out!"

"Yeah, but aren't you forgetting something?"

"WHAT?"

"We're two days shy of Christmas; the flights are all booked up. Besides you can't drive a hundred and eighty miles in that car."

As on cue, they all turned to stare at the car in question, even Anthony. The rental was smaller than most cars of its class. Toyota IQ may be good for city driving and parallel parking, but it looked like a matchbox car next to Emmett's Jeep.

"Well, I suppose I'll have to trade it for something sturdier…" Bella agreed hesitantly. "…with snow chains perhaps. I'm not kidding around though, I'm not changing my plans. If Alice can get on the standby list so can I."

Edward made a motion as if he wanted to strangle her. "How are you planning on achieving that? With no internet connection and limited phone reception? You really don't get it do you? It's the week before Christmas, the busiest travel week of the year. "

Emmett hummed in agreement. "Not a single car to rent in the entire Portland area. And Portland is bigger than Seattle… Just saying..."

"Ugh, you two are no help at all," she huffed. Stomping her way back to the cabin to get the rest of their luggage.

.

. .xXoOoXx

.

"Come on! It's not the end of the world," Edward coaxed, as he turned the ignition and put the car into motion.

Bella looked at him like he'd just grown a second head, but refrained from commenting.

"It's just a slight modification of your plans, that's all. I'll do everything in my power to help you get where you need to go. I can't make any promises about making it in time for Christmas dinner, but there will be plenty of time for you to chug down eggnog and fruit cake with Renee and Phil, if that's what you need to get in the right spirit for the holiday season."

She snorted at the mention of eggnog, "This has nothing to do with holiday spirit, and everything to do with self-preservation. She'll be guilt tripping me for months, if I'm not there when they carve the turkey. "

"Yeah, I've guessed that much. I've met your mother, remember," he teased, steering the car out of the parking lot and onto the snow-filled, slippery road. "You heard Emmett, though, he'll drive you all the way to Portland, first thing tomorrow morning. All you have to do is sit tight until then."

"Yeah, I heard him. He'll be heading to Portland to pick up Rose… if she makes her flight. That's a big IF."

"If my brother won't drive you, I will. You have my word, alright!"

Bella grabbed the dash board as the car skidded through the first turn. "Geez, thanks Edward. That's reassuring… NOT!"

Edward pumped the brakes and steered against the spin before he spoke again. "Driving in this mess is no picnic, Bella. You'll have to trust me on that one. I'm pretty sure 24 hours in Forks won't kill you. Focus on the good stuff. It can't keep snowing like this forever and while we wait it out you'll have access to both landline phone service and optic fibre broadband."

"Fine, the roads are bad and Forks beats camping at some over-crowded airport anytime. You were right, it was a lousy idea. Is that what you want to hear?"

"Yes, thank you! Now, shut up and let me drive!"

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that," she remarked with a pointed glance at the two little boys, strapped into car matching seats in the back of the car. "Language Edward, language…"

"Sorry, I forgot we weren't alone," he grumbled, easing his foot off the gas pedal to slow down further.

.

. .xXoOoXx

.

Neither one of them said anything for another ten minutes or so. Mostly because Edward was busy trying to keep the car on the road, but also because Bella was busy trying to keep her lunch down. And this was the jeep, mind you. She could only imagine what the Toyota experience would have been like.

They were in Emmett's car, with both the kids, because Emmett had decided that since he was the only one who had any recent experience with winter roads, he was the one best suited to drive the Toyota, or the death trap, as he liked to call it. Needless to say, he wanted Elliott or Anthony in the jeep, with the four-wheel drive, the snow chains and the anti-spin control. Emmett was right to be cautious, of course, but damn, there went the alone time she had been hoping for…

The conversation she had been prepping herself for all morning would obviouly have to wait. Maybe it would be alright to broach the subject in a wider context, though, because thankfully the kids were actually co-operating for once. Elliott was blissfully asleep and Anthony was mesmerised by the snowflakes hitting the window. Maybe she could make an attempt to pave the way, so to speak, before the actual bomb-dropping conversation took place. It couldn't hurt, right?

"I had a doctors appointment set up, that I'll be forced to cancel," Bella revealed, choosing her words carefully

"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't know that, " Edward said without taking his eyes off the road. "I'm sure Carlisle can check your blood pressure if that helps."

"Not that kind of doctors appointment, but thanks"

"Are you like seeing a shrink or something… or is it about your head injury?"

"What? No! I'm not seeing a shrink and my head is fine. I thought we'd been over this before. My head has been fine for more than three months now."

"Sorry, I guess it's none of my business."

"It's fine. I wouldn't have brought it up if I didn't want you to know. It's more of a female-related-check-up, if you catch my drift."

"Riiight. Nothing for Carlisle then," he grumbled, daring a glance in her direction.

"No definitely nothing I'd want your father to handle," she grimaced.

"So it's an annual thing, then? Or do I need to be worried?"

"Uhm..." What to tell, what to tell...He was dangerously close to hitting the nail on the head.

When she didn't answer right away, Edward banged the steering wheel with his fist. "Christ Bella, don't tell me Black left you with a parting gift from one of those skanky hoes he was messing with!"

"No! Just no" she hurried to assure him as the car wavered all over the road. She waited until he had the situation under control again before she apologised. "Sorry, I didn't realise you'd react that way, or I would have worded it differently. It's nothing contagious. It's nothing like that at all."

He nodded, but his jaw remained clenched. "My fault. I'm the one that should be apologising. I guess I overreacted, kind of… Sorry."

"It's okay. Keep your eyes on the road. We can talk about this later. I'm fine, you're fine. You don't have to rush off to get tested or anything. I promise."

"Crap, is that what you think? No, Bella, I was worried for my own sake, I was… it was… ugh…" He hit the steering wheel in frustration again. "I wish I could say I always stay safe, always keep it wrapped, always take proper precautions, but obviously that's not the case," as he spoke his eyes sought out the rear mirror and the two little boys in the back seat. "I'm such a hypocrite. I'm just as big of a jerk as HE was."

"Edward, that's no-… " she started, but then the car jerked to the left and the words 'Watch out!' registered in her mind. "Watch-out-watch-out-watch-out!"

"SHIT!"

In the blink of an eye the car had slipped off the road and tipped over sideways into the ditch, leaving two wheels firmly buried in snow and the other two spinning in free air.

.

. .xXoOoXx

.

AN: This was not at all how I had planned this chapter to play out. Inspiration hit in a way I hadn't expected. We're in a middle of a pretty bad storm right now. No snow, but strong winds and flooding. Nothing too extreme in my region, but from what I've seen on TV it's pretty bad.

Emmett drives a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited with enough space for kids in the back seat and a crap load of luggage. If you're not familiar with the Toyota IQ, google it and be prepared to laugh. I don't know if it's even available in the US. I just know I test drove one when I was shopping around for a new car and it's ridiculously small. But then again my budget was on the smaller side so… you get what you pay for…. Anyway, I ended up with a Renault Clio, which I love. The anti spin control system has saved my ass more than once.

_**I got a realy god question I thought I'd address it here:**_

_**Q:** My question is why can't the FBI, Bella, Edward or any of the Cullin's put two and two together with Edward being drugged, nude photo's of Edward being taken and the birth of Anthony 9 months later? I figured this out chapters ago...maybe ;)_

**A:**This is a really good question. It's two different events though. The one where he was drugged and photographed against his will, took place several years prior to the one where he found himself straddled in the front seat of that car.. The night Anthony was conceived Edward was simply coaxed into drinking too much and then taken advantage of. In his nightmares these two separate events blurs into one. His subconscious has figured out something that his conscious mind has not yet grasped. Even though the two events are completely separate they still share some similarities. We know through the diary entries that Angela (aka the stalker) is Anthony's mother. We also know that Angela is James sister and that James is the photographer that took the nudie pics. The piece of the puzzle that Edward, Bella, the FBI, and the rest of the Cullens is missing is the fact that Angela is the mother. They've all thought the thought at one point or another, but dismissed it for various reasons. Angela was already dead when Anthony turned up abandoned in Seattle for starters. Nothing in the background check that Bella and her colleges has made on Angela shows that she had any other living relatives beside her mother and her brother. Nothing indicated that she had birthed a child. No one knew anything about the child. No one, except two people… but now I'm getting ahead of myself….


	26. Chapter 25  Paging Dr Cullen

_**AN: I hope you've all had a good Christmas! And I hope everyone has a great and creative new year. **_

**.  
**

**Chapter 25 - Paging Dr. Cullen**

**.  
**

"So, no headache?

"No."

"And no dizziness?"

"Negative. I'm not feeling even the slightest bit disoriented or light-headed."

"What about nausea?"

Bella closed her eyes briefly, but refrained from sighing in exasperation. "None at the moment."

"That's good, but you did feel somewhat queasy initially, though. Did you not?" Dr. Cullen guessed, quite correctly, stilling the movements of the flashlight in his hand.

Damn Emmett for being such a gossip! Not that Edward wouldn't have told on her anyway. His brother just beat him to it… Wasn't it a well known fact that shock can make anyone a little green around the gill?

Since Dr. Cullen seemed to be waiting for an answer to his question, she shrugged and said, "the initial shock made my stomach plunge, but I feel much better now."

As tiring as the questions and the probing were, she knew she should feel grateful to have avoided a trip to the ER. If there was one thing to be said about Edwards's father's home office, it would be that it was well-stocked in the medical supply department. And Dr. Carlisle Cullen himself had been nothing but professional and thorough. There was a palpable air of authority, even intimidation, about the man. He wore glasses now, but his piercing blue eyes still held the same intensity they had always held.

"Your pupils are equal and reactive," he finally concluded, putting the flashlight away. "Any pain in your neck? Can you move it freely?"

She answered his question by rolling her head from side to side with ease. "No pain."

"That's good. Just remember that even if the vehicle was moving very slowly and your neck feels fine right now, whiplash injuries can be totally unpredictable. The injury can occur in the moments directly following the crash, or it can creep up on you, slowly, several days afterwards."

"I appreciate your concern, but I feel fine, I really do. Besides, we didn't crash into anything head on; we just kind of slid, sideways, off the road. It seems as though the snow cushioned most of the impact."

Several hours had passed since the jeep had skidded, driver's side first, off the road and into the ditch. The first hour and a half had been filled with worrying and angst, but now, three hours later, she felt fairly certain that she was, in fact, perfectly fine. No signs of any stomach or back pains. No cramping or bleeding to speak of. She did have a moderately sized gash on her upper arm, but other than that she seemed to have escaped unscathed.

Carlisle hummed in a thoughtful manner. "Slewing broadside into a snowy ditch is usually safer than a head-on collision or a sideswipe with an approaching vehicle," he stated, leaning back in his chair. "Your head and neck appear to be fine, but if anything changes, don't hesitate to seek medical care asap, to get it on record for insurance reasons, if nothing else."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Your arm doesn't look too bad either, but I won't know for sure until I've taken a proper look." Pushing his chair over to the nearby desk, he retrieved a fresh pair of gloves, tweezers and some cotton swabs. "Now, this might sting a little, but I need to clean the cut and make sure there aren't any pieces of glass in there," he explained as broke the seal on a bottle of antiseptic.

"That's fine. I'm a big girl I can take it. Do what you have to do." Bella nodded, taking a deep breath to steady herself. "If someone had to get injured, I'm glad it was me and not one of the kids."

"It could have been a lot worse," Dr, Cullen agreed, before he carefully began probing around the edges of the wound with his thumb. "The gash is shallow, but quite long. It's a clean cut, though, shouldn't scar too much. I think you'll be okay with some Steri-strips and a sterile dressing."

"No stitches?"

"No, that won't be necessary this time."

"See, I told you they were fussing over nothing. Emmett had no business carrying me up the stairs like some damn, damsel in distress and Edward could have kept his jacket to himself. I was no colder than anyone else. I bet he'll catch one heck of a cold now just because he couldn't keep his clothes on."

Dr. Cullen looked amused, but his voice betrayed nothing when he spoke. "From what I've heard, you fainted, not once, but twice. I'd say they had reasons to be worried."

Bella shook her head in a dismissive manner. "I fainted when I realized I'd cut my arm on the glass, climbing through the car window. I've always been a bit sensitive to the smell of blood, even more so after I cracked my head open a few months back. I'm sure Edward has told you all about that one, right?."

"Right, decked by an ashtray, was it?"

"In the hands of a very unstable woman, yes," she nodded. "You'd be surprised how often that happens in my line of work. Or maybe you wouldn't. Small town or not, I'm sure you've seen your fair share of crime related traumas in Forks over the years."

"Sadly, the trend is not a positive one," Carlisle agreed with a slight frown. "However, Miss Swan, don't think I don't recognise your attempt to side-track me here. Repeated fainting could indicate an internal bleeding which would require immediate medical attention."

"I sincerely doubt that's the case. You're the expert, obviously, but I'd say it was a delayed shock reaction. Nothing more, nothing less…"

"That struck twice?"

"Yes, that's exactly what happened."

A frown flickered over his face, like he knew there was more to it, but didn't question further. Instead he instructed her to hold her arm out, explaining that he was about to apply tissue adhesive.

He worked steadily, but quietly with the task at hand and the silence stretched out into unbearable length, straining Bella's somewhat frayed nerves.

"Fine," she finally relented. "I might as well tell you what happened that second time so that you can judge for yourself what you think caused it."

"I'm all ears… Just, keep that arm still while you're talking."

"Oh, sorry," she apologized as she realized she had lowered her arm. "So…Emmett and I were inspecting the car while Edward was trying to get a hold of a tow truck. We'd been out in the snow for maybe 20 minutes, and were all slightly wet and somewhat cold at that point. My arm had stopped bleeding and I was feeling mostly fine, until I rounded the vehicle and saw the two foot wide dent in the back door that is. It was on the right side, exactly where Anthony was supposed to be sitting and I guess I just…"she finished the sentence by making a tipping over motion with her hand.

"Wait, 'supposed to'? As in he wasn't sitting there?"

"I'm not sure whether it was dumb luck or cosmic intervention, but we moved him to the middle seat last minute. We figured he was less likely to get car sick if he were seated in the middle where he could see more of the road ahead."

Carlisle let out a silent 'oh' of understanding, but before he could form a proper response, he was interrupted by a sudden commotion in the form of a thundering rumble of footsteps making their way up the stairs, followed by a fast-approaching cacophony of voices bouncing off the walls of the hallway.

There might have been a knock, or two, on the door, but the door swung open almost instantly, leaving them no time to deny or allow any entry.

Not too surprisingly, Emmett was the one first to storm into the room, but he wasn't alone. Under each of his arms there was a toddler sized Cullen boy. He was carrying them like they were heavy timber logs, and he was a contestant in one of those bizarre strong-man competition they show late at night on ESPN.

"Move to the side, burn victim coming through! Hot cocoa accident!" he boomed. The way he bounced and jiggled his 'cargo' made it clear that it was not a real emergency, or at the very least not a pressing one.

Dr. Cullen had a puzzled look on his face, but was quick to catch on. "Oh my, a hot cocoa accident! Who's the patient?" he asked, pretending not to see the two little boys, dangling in front of him..

Anthony, who up to that point had been alternating between squirming like a worm and giving his uncle the stink eye, hid his face at the sound of the unfamiliar voice. Elliott, on the other hand, giggled like a mad man.

"Is me, is Ellott, Papa C!" he exclaimed in a high pitched sing-song voice. "Got owie, need meducine!"

"Ohhhhh, what do you know, it's my favorite patient, " Carlisle laughed, feigning a look of utter surprise. "And I see you brought a friend. Will he be needing medicine, too?"

"Nooo," Elliott shook his head vigorously. "Me," he told his grandfather, all the while wriggling wildly to be set down.

"Hey, monkey boy, stop that or I'll drop you head first on the floor," Emmett warned, hoisting both boys higher in his arms. "A little help here would be nice, Edward. Or are you planning on hiding in the doorway all day?"

Bella whipped her head around and sure enough there he was; Edward, leaning against the doorframe. Eyeing him up and down, she noted that his hair was sticking in all directions, which gave him a somewhat comical appearance, but his facial expression was somber and his eyes were a bit red-rimmed. The general impression she got was that he looked about as exhausted as she felt. Exhaustion aside though, he still managed to pin a tight smile on his face, when realized everyone had turned to look at him.

"Uh-uh, you're on your own with this one," he informed his brother, crossing his arms over his chest. "I told you not to go barging in here like that! And I was right, wasn't I? Scalpels, blood, gore… do I need to go on? I told you it was an exceptionally bad idea!"

Emmett response was immediate, "And I told YOU to stay in the kitchen and make sure mom wasn't too upset, but since you obviously didn't listen. I suggest you make yourself useful. I didn't anticipate that there would be B-L-O-O-D-Y scalpels in here for Christ sake!"

"She sliced her arm open on a broken car window, what did you expect? Hello kitty Band-Aids and rainbow colored cotton swabs?"

"That's enough," Carlisle interrupted. "Firstly, what's wrong with Esme? Why is she upset? And secondly, Edward, would you please help your brother with keeping the boys contained until I get this place tidied up and kiddy safe again."

"Fine," he pushed himself off the doorframe and came to stand beside his brother. "Mom just needed a moment to compose herself after meeting this charming little fellow, that's all," he explained, as he gathered his son into his arms. "She's fine, or she will be in a few minutes. She didn't want to lose it in front of the kids, so he sent us up here to wait for you. Speaking of which, wouldn't you rather have us wait outside while you finish up in here?"

"I figured the boys would need their medicine first."

Carlisle didn't make air quotes, but he didn't need to. It was obvious by the tone of his voice, and Elliott's intensely joyous reaction to it, that 'medicine' in this case equaled some kind of sugary treat.

"Third one from the top," he instructed, pointing at a drawer next to his desk.

"Nice," Emmett whistled appreciatively. "You got some heavy stuff in here. Should we give'em both the same treatment, doc?" he asked, pulling out two small bags of skittles from the drawer.

"I reckon we should. Can't play favorites now that there are two of them." Carlisle deadpanned, before breaking into a small smile as he watched Elliott nearly deck his father with an elbow, in his attempt to get a hold of the sweets.

"Ugh…. Not so fast buddy," Emmett grunted, putting an arm's length between his face and the offending elbow. "What's the magic word?"

"Fhanks?" Elliott suggested with a slight frown.

"I was going for 'please', but I suppose 'thanks' will do. Now, say it again, to your grandpa this time."

"Th-anks," Elliott repeated, almost getting the lisp under control this second time.

"You're welcome! Go ahead and take your dad down to the old playroom. I've set up a surprise for you that I think you'll like."

"Is a toy?"

"Yep, it's something you can play with."

"Is mine?"

"No, but it's something you and your cousin can borrow while you're here."

Elliott pouted a little, probably at the thought of having to share yet another toy, but he recovered quickly once his father set him down on the floor by the door and challenged the boy to race him downstairs.

"Later alligator," Emmett waved goodbye and then they were off in a whirlwind

"I suggest you follow them downstairs too, Edward. I know we have quite a few things to discuss, but I have an arm here that needs to be closed up first. I'll come find you in a little while."

"You are planning on giving them a proper check-up, aren't you?" Edward asked, lingering by the door.

"The boys? Yes, I'll be keeping an eye on them. They both seem fine, but I'll check for signs of concussion and internal injuries, just to make sure."

"And the stubborn one? She'll be fine too, right?"

Bella huffed in indignation. "Why don't you ask her yourself? I'm sitting right here, after all."

"I could, but I'm not sure you'd tell me the truth." he shot back, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

"Hey, now. I rarely ever lie. I thought we had already established that," she replied with forced calmness. "Now, since you're asking so nicely, I'll have you know that I didn't hit my head or injure other vital parts. The scratch on my arm, is just that, a scratch. Isn't that right Dr. Cullen?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"What about her blood pressure?" Edward asked, turning to his father.

"What about it?"

"Did she tell you, she has a history of high blood pressure?"

"Not in so many words, no, but if her blood pressure is high, I will find out about it soon enough. The medical term 'shock' refers to the organs and tissues of the body not receiving a sufficient flow of blood. It's standard procedure to measure blood pressure, when dealing with shock from an accident or trauma."

"Good, I fully exp-.." Edward began to say, but was interrupted by a small, but clear voice, declaring that the sweets were all gone.

"You're kidding me? You only just got them!" Edward shifted the boy from his hip, to hold him directly in front of him.

"Have more?" Anthony asked, batting his eyelashes, hopefully.

"Oh my, he's got the pout and the puppy dog eyes down to a T," Carlisle mused quietly, earning himself narrowed eyed glance from his son.

"Just stating an observation… If he's hungry, I'm sure Esme can make him a sandwich or something."

"She already did. He licked the jam off the bread and tossed the rest away. If he's hungry he's got to learn to eat what's on the table and be happy with that. I know he's skinny, but spoiling him rotten won't help in the long run. Everything can't be yummy and fun, all the time."

"No have jammies?"

"That's right, Anthony. No more jam for you."

"I say no jammies!"

"I heard you the first time, the answer is still, no more jam for you."

"She have," the boy said pointing at Bella. "…not me…"

"Ouch, did someone just get caught with the hand in the jam jar?" Edward chuckled, to which Bella just rolled her eyes.

"Actually, I think he might be talking about his pajama for some reason. Am I right? Do you want your jammies, Tony?"

"I say I no jammies," the boy repeated, gritting his teeth in frustration. ".. no seep…no bed…," he added pointing a tiny finger at the paper-covered, padded table that Bella was sitting on.

She finally clued in on what he was trying to say. "Ah, you're right, Tony! This is not a bed that you sleep in. and it's not bedtime yet, far from it," she assured him with a smile. "I'm not wearing my pajama. It's a blanket, see," she added, moving a jean clad leg out for under the cocoon of fleece she was wrapped in. "I have my regular clothes underneath. This is just to help me keep warm."

"No bed?" he asked again, apparently needing further clarification. "No bed, no seep?" Throwing his arms around his fathers neck he braved a look at his grandfather, as if he knew the 'bed' belonged to him.

"That's correct. It's not a proper bed, it's a padded table," Carlisle nodded, putting on a serious face, as if it was a question of great importance. "You can lay on it, but I wouldn't recommend sleeping on it for any lengthy period of time."

"I'll say," Bella couldn't help but blurt. "My bum went numb after only a few minutes. It's more like a medieval torture bench than a proper bed. Not comfy at all. No offence Dr. Cullen."

"None taken. It's not meant to be overly comfortable, as a doctor you don't want your patient falling asleep on you."

"Ah, yeah that makes sense. Did you hear that, Tony? You have nothing to worry about. We are not changing into our jammies anytime soon."

"Still not too fond of the whole settling-down-for-sleep thing, I take it?" Carlisle asked, chuckling.

"No, he detests it," Edward sighed, scrubbing his free hand through his already disheveled hair. "Looks like tonight will be particularly fun, seeing as he's already fighting it with teeth and claws."

"All the more reason why you should take him down to the playroom and let him roam free for a while."

"Are you throwing us out, dad?"

"Looks that way."

Edward 'hmmf'-ed and bounced the child on his arm a few times. "Let's get going, Anthony! Apparently we're not wanted 'round here anymore."

"Edward! One more thing… " his father called out, stopping him just as he was about to exit.

"Yes?"

"You're doing great… with the boy. He's everything Alice said he was. I believe adorable was the word she used."

"Ha, yeah he's adorable alright, especially when he's throwing his tantrums."

"It's all part of the charm," Carlisle said humorously. "If it's any consolation, he'll outgrow it eventually."

"Gee, thanks dad…"

"You're welcome son!"

.

...

.

Suppressing a smile Dr. Cullen watched the door shut close. "Sorry about the interruption, Ms. Swan. Shall we continue?"

"Sure. No, worries… That whole interaction was actually quite interesting. You got a soft spot for kids, Dr. Cullen? I would have never guessed."

"Why is that so surprising?" he asked throwing her a quizzical look.

"I don't know… I mean, I know you and Mrs. Cullen raised three of your own, but they were all teenagers by the time I first met them and you were quite stern with them if I remember correctly. Not a negative thing necessarily. Kids, especially teenagers, need discipline just like they need food, and water, and love."

"Very true. Grandkids are a whole different thing though. The good thing about grandkids is that you can spoil them as much as you like, for as long as you like, and when you're done you can send them home again. And, if your kids complain that you got them too wound up...well, you simply tell them it's payback for all of THEIR antics when THEY were little!"

"Yeah, I'm sure Edward will love hearing that… not!"

"Some lessons can only be learned the hard way," Dr. Cullen chuckled with a wistful smile.

"He's had quite a few of those lately, though, wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes, I do agree, which is why I want to help him in whatever way I can. In fact, I have some notes that I'd like to share with you."

"What kind of notes?"

"The kind that wouldn't hold up in court. Just some information I've obtained by using slightly more aggressive persuasion methods than the norm."

"Alright, gotha! You have those notes with you, here and now?"

"No, they are locked up in my safe. I thought we could look at them later. Preferably in the morning after a good night's sleep. If you're staying the night, that is?"

"I don't think I have a choice in the matter… "

"Well, there are certainly worse places to be stranded."

"True. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound ungrateful and I do-…"

"Don't worry about it," he cut her off. "Just try and use the rest of the day to get some rest. You look like you need it. But first let me walk you down to the kitchen. I know Esme is dying to speak to you."

"Oh great," she groaned. "I mean, that sounds great," she hurried to correct herself.

Carlisle merely chuckled at her.


	27. Chapter 26  Inquisition

"I love your decorations, Mrs. Cullen, simple, classy, yet very festive-looking. They remind me Nana Swan's house around Christmas." Bella said, touching the garland made of crocheted snowflakes lightly with her fingertips.

"Thank you dear, and please call me Esme. I know it's been a while, but I see no reason why we should revert to those stuffy formalities. In fact, this is an excellent opportunity for us to get re-acquainted, wouldn't you agree?" she asked in a remarkably calm and collected manner. If meeting her newest grandson had left her distraught, she certainly wasn't showing it. She was the perfect hostess in every sense of the word.

"Pull up a chair and I'll put the tea kettle on," she suggested as she bustled around in the kitchen.

"Don't go to any trouble on my account. You can heat the water in the microwave as far as I'm concerned. That'll do just fine."

"Nonsense, Isabella! I'll have it ready for you in a few minutes. I might even try a cup myself. I could certainly use something warm and soothing," she said, shakingher head. "It just drains me, this weather, you know…"

"Snow is as beautiful as it is unpredictable. I'd never seen more than a few flakes on the ground until I moved to Forks at seventeen."

"Oh, that's right! You've actually told me that before! I believe it snowed that very first time Alice brought you over here for a visit. Your father wouldn't let you drive on your own, so Alice and Carlisle had to go pick you up. Do you remember?"

"I do," Bella nodded, "I feels like it was yesterday, but it was actually almost a decade ago," she marveled with a small smile.

"Has it really been that long? Well, now I feel really old."

"Please don't. You haven't aged one bit."

It was true, Edward's mother, looked exactly how Bella remembered her from the handful of times she had met her in the past. No frown lines, no crow's feet, not even a gray hair amongst the auburn locks on her head.

Whoever her hair colorist was, he or she, was doing an excellent job, award worthy really. Her hair shone like caramel coated candy when she shook her head, laughing.

"That's kind of you to say, but not very accurate. My brain insists I'm a teenager, but my joints beg to differ. But enough about me. Let's talk about you. You've certainly changed since the last time I had the pleasure of having you over for a visit."

"Please don't remind me… That was 20lbs ago," Bella mock groaned. "I was scrawny and awkward; a bonafide bookworm and quite tomboyish too. "

"You used to be this slender and delicate a wisp of a girl, who was just a wee bit uncoordinated. Now look at you, all grown up. I must say the change is quite drastic."

"I suppose I've filled out some, haven't I?" Bella blushed pulling the blanket snugger around her. Then she realized her mistake. Where was her head at, really? Her weight gain and recently acquired curves was so not a topic she wanted to discuss with Edward's mother.

Ironic how ten year ago she had prayed for her boobs to grow a cup size or two, and now she wanted nothing more than for them to stop growing. The expanding of her waistline was becoming a major source of discomfort, but not an unexpected one. The sudden growth spurt in her chest area on the other hand, had come out of left field.

Bella bit her lip, berating herself for not thinking before she spoke.

Esme seemed to sense her inner turmoil. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. It was meant as a complement. You've grown into a stunning young woman!"

"Thank you! Its just… I don't feel stunning at all, at the moment," she grimaced. Better not stray too far from the truth. "I've been out of shape for a couple of months now. Hate it, but can't really do anything about it at the moment. Let's leave it at that."

"That's alright, I understand," Esme hurried to assure her with a hint of something indefinable in her voice. "These past couple of years must have been tough on you. You probably don't remember, but we were at the funeral, me and Edward. I didn't get a chance to talk to you, but… I'm terribly sorry for your loss! We all are…"

Jacob… A million thoughts raced through her mind at once. Her friend, her confidante, her shoulder to cry on…

It didn't hurt to think about it anymore, in fact quite a few days had passed since she last though about it - about him. That didn't make it any easer to talk about though. Even though their marriage had been a disaster, she still missed her friend.

Of course, her husband's passing was so not what she had had in mind when she had made those comments about being out shape. Yet, she wasn't about to correct Esme's wrongly made assumption either.

She realized had to say something, though, and managed to squeak out a muffled,"Thank you".

She must have sounded choked up, because Esme stopped what she was doing, put the tea cups and the spoons down, and turned around with a concerned expression on her face.

"I know how it is to lose someone close, someone so young and filled with spirit."

"Then I hope you understand, when I say I don't want to talk about it." Bella lowered her head, avoiding eye contact.

"Of course. Let's talk about something else," Esme said simply, her voice unreadable."The tea water will be ready soon. Do you want Cinnamon, Chai, or Earl Grey?" she asked taking a jar off the shelf above the sink.

"I…I'll have Cinnamon, please. And thank you, for making me tea and for being so understanding."

"You needn't thank me for common courtesy dear," Esme responded, bringing the kettle of hot water over to the kitchen table. "Come, sit down! It's tea time! Do you take it with sugar, like I do?"

"No, just milk for me." Pulling out a chair, Bella carefully rearranged the blanket around her before she took a seat.

Her caution didn't not go by unnoticed. "Are you still feeling cold? Should I fetch you another blanket?"

"A little, but it's alright," she indicated with her hand that Esme should remain seated. "I think the tea will do the trick."

Truth be told, she wasn't even that cold anymore. She had no intention of losing the blanket, though. The term 'security blanket' had never seemed more fitting.

"You think the boys will be alright on their own?" Esme asked, filling the cups with the steaming water.

"Alone? Three grown man and two little boys, I think they will manage… Although, I must say it does sound like a herd of elephants is having a party down there."

"It's the trampoline," Edward's mother answered knowingly, as if that explained everything.

"You got a trampoline down there? I didn't know they made those for indoor use?"

"Neither did I. Actually, it wouldn't surprise me if it was, in fact, meant to go outside. It has a metal frame with a trampoline base and a harnesssuspended by ordered it online a few days ago. It arrived yesterday, but it didn't stay in the box long, he couldn't wait to put it together."

"Aww, that's nice of him! I bet they'll have loads of fun using it."

"Sure lots of fun, but also lots of bruises, tears and scraped knees… and I'm not necessarily talking about the two youngest ones in the herd."

Bella couldn't help but snicker. "Ha, well in that case you can add sore backs to that list."

"I found this adorable Castle-shaped play tent, that would have been so much more age appropriate, but they were out of all colors, save pink. And God forbid any Cullen boy would have to play with a toy that isn't manly enough."

"But isn't Elliott's favorite toy a pink, plush elephant in a tutu? I saw him carrying it around as recently as this morning."

"Ah, yeah, Ellie the elephant. He loves that toy, pink lace and all," Esme smirked, but then her smirk faded into a frown. "Does Anthony have something like that; a toy or a teddy bear that he cuddles at night, something that keeps the monsters under the bed at bay? I know he had practically nothing with him, save for the clothes he wore, but Alice mentioned something about a stuffed… tiger, was it?"

"A well-loved, tiger striped, stuffed bear, actually, but whatever you do don't let Tony hear you call it a bear. As far as he is concerned it's a big, bad, scary tiger." Bella said pulling her tea bag out of the cup.

"Here," Esme hurried to push a saucer across the table. "So this tiger, does it have a name?"

"Nope, he just calls it Tiger. I bet he'd show it to you if you asked him. It's a good icebreaker."

"I thought hot cocoa would be a good icebreaker, but he didn't fancy it all that much. Judging by his reaction, I'd say he hasnever tasted anything of the sort before. I just wanted to cry when I saw how skinny he is. How could any mother allow for… for something like that…" she trailed off, not able to form the words.

"I know…I know…" Bella agreed with a shake of her head. "I'm surprised he turned down the hot chocolate. The little guy has a sweet tooth for sure. He loves ice cream and cookies... In fact, I bet one batch of homemade cookies is all it would take for you to get in his good book. Don't tell Edward I told you that, though. We're supposed to err-.. I mean Edward is supposed to establish healthier eating routines for Anthony."

"Ah, but it's Christmas, surely there is no harm in making a few exceptions, right? I've made tons of cookies and Christmas treats." As she spoke she rose from the table and fetched a plate of cake from the refrigerator.

"I know you said you didn't want anything, but are you sure I can't tempt you with a slice of a slice of my iced fruit cake."

"It looks delicious…but I think I'll have to pass, for now," Bella all but groaned as her stomach churned from the sight and smell.

"You really should try and eat something."

She forced a smile and nodded. "Yeah, I know, but I doubt I would be able to stomach anything at the moment. I'm still a bit shook up."

"That's understandable. Just let me know if you change your mind and I will fix you a sandwich or something."

"You're being awfully nice to me. Not that you haven't always been nice to me…. Ugh…I mean, I feel like I'm crashing a family reunion. I'm sure you have a lot on your plate at the moment."

"Don't be silly!" Esme fired off a blending smile. "One more houseguest will hardly make a difference at this point. Besides, I'll willingly admit that I'm being extra nice because I have a favor to ask."

Warming her fingers on her tea cup, Bella eyed at the woman across the table suspiciously. "What kind of favor are we talking about?"

"I know you're supposed to hitch a ride, with Emmett when he goes off to Portland to pick up Rosalie."

"Yes, I'd like to try and get to the airport there instead of waiting for Sea-Tac to reopen. However, I'm still waiting to hear whether or not Rose managed to snag a seat on the flight she was on hoping to get on."

"She made it. She texted me half an hour ago letting me know that she has landed safely. Apparently many travelers are showing up late due to unusually bad traffic, which in turn has been very fortunate for those waiting on the standby lists. Alice will be boarding her flight any minute now, and Jasper is next in line."

"Alright then, I'm ready to leave whenever Emmett is. The sooner, the better. I realize it would be unwise to try and make the trip tonight, but hopefully we can be on our way at the first sign of light tomorrow morning."

"I'm not sure that's enough time for the weather to clear. I understand that you have plans for the holiday. Maybe you could put them off a day or two?"

"Is that the favor?" Bella asked. After a pause, the other woman nodded in turn.

"Please DON'T encourage either one of my sons to get out on those roads again in this weather. Carlisle and I have managed to secure accommodations for everyone. I'll gladly pay double-triple- the price for those hotel rooms, if it means that all my children will stay off the roads for another day or two, until the storm has passed."

"There are no other people I would rather spend my Christmas with than Edward and Anthony, but my mom leaves for Europe come boxing day and I really, really want to see her before she leaves."

"But you mother wouldn't want you to risk your life on those icy roads. Talk to her. She'll tell you the same thing I'm telling you, that it's not worth the risk," Esme said smiling grimly. "In fact, why don't you try and Skype her later. Emmett can help you set it up. I know it's not the same as seeing her in person, but it's better than nothing."

"That's… actually not a bad idea. If the weather allows it of course."

"So, you'll postpone your trip?"

"Esme, I promise, I'll think about it. I won't be going anywhere tonight and I certainly won't be forcing anyone to drive if they don't want to. I could always try and get another rental car and drive myself. I'll sleep on it and then we'll see what the weather is like in the morning."

"Fair enough… You're more than welcome to stay as long as you like. Now tell me more about my grandson. I hear he has a bit of a temper…. " 


	28. Chapter 27  Distraction

**Chapter 27 - Distraction**

Bella woke with a start, her body clammy with cold sweat and her senses on full alert. Her mind reeled with a foreboding that something was askew, out of place, out of balance, and she wasn't sure she wanted to know what it was.

A noise had woken her, of that she was certain, but now all she could hear was the abnormally loud and thunderous beating of her heart and the occasional muffled howl of the snow-laden winds that still raged outside.

Then she heard it again; the quiet swooshing of something moving nearby. What was that? Scurried footsteps? A rustling of clothes? Heavy breathing?

Without lifting her head off the pillow, she directed her eyes towards the sound and became acutely aware that there was a silhouette of a person standing right next to her bed.

She squinted fiercely, as if narrowing her eyes would somehow grant the ability to see more clearly through the darkness of the room. Judging by built and height she took it to be a full grown, male figure. Could it be Edward? She sure hoped so, or else the situation was about to turn awkward real fast.

The chances of it being an actual intruder was thankfully pretty slim, but then again, none of the Cullen guestrooms had locks on their doors, so in theory anyone could waltz right in and do whatever. Damn, a taser gun would have been convenient, but nope... She was completely unarmed and would have to resort to old-fashioned hand labor if worse came to worst.

Just then, a slight movement registered in her peripheral vision. A hand came looming into sight. Her reaction was instinctual. With a practiced move, she grabbed a hold of the man's wrist. The surprise element worked in her favor. Using her good arm, she had him in an effective joint-lock in no time.

The response was instant, and came in form of a string of colorful curse words that was delivered in an unnaturally high-pitched, yet very familiar voice.

"Why hello Edward, you sound sort of pained," she greeted him calmly, giving his arm a final squeeze, before loosening her grip.

"F*ck, that bloody huuurt and you know it!" he grimaced in discomfort, pulling his arm close to his chest.

"Well good! You deserve it for sneaking up on me like that."

"'Scuse me, but you were snoring loudly and drooling on yourself. I thought you were asleep for sure."

"And you heard and saw this from outside the room, though the door? I don't think so!" Side-eyeing him accusingly, she scrambled to rearrange the comforter. "Ever heard of knocking before entering?" she added, once she was sure the fabric was covering what needed to be covered without outlining or emphasizing shapes and curves that shouldn't be emphasized.

Edward merely shrugged and then unceremoniously plopped himself down on the mattress next to her.

"What the hell!" Bella sneered, scooting herself as far away as she could get without falling off the bed. "What do you think you're doing? And is that alcohol I smell on your breath?"

"I'm a big boy. I'm allowed to drink if I want to." He wasn't slurring, but he wasn't far off either. "I've had a helluva day, I deserve a f*cking break!"

"You sound like a bratty seventeen year old right now," she told him pointedly. "And my original question still stands. What the heck are you doing here?"

"I'm doing what every seventeen year old male would do…" he smirked at her, snuggling closer. "Getting comfy, of course,"

"You have some serious boundary issues you know that, right?" Bella grunted, nudging him in the ribs with a not so gentle elbow. His closeness was unnerving, but ducking away wasn't an option, seeing as she was already teetering on the edge of the mattress.

"Damn, someone's crrrrranky!"

"You think?" Bella reached for the bedside lamp and the light flickered sharply. "I'm sorry, if my mood isn't rosy enough for you. You're not the only one that's had a less than stellar day. Do I need to remind you of the bandage on my arm? The one I got after I cut my arm open on a broken car window; a car that YOU wrecked!"

"Please, spare me your opinions about my driving. I've already heard them all." he answered, the obnoxiously smug tone of his voice replaced with an odd sort of seriousness. "I know I messed up. It's all I can think about; the red stains in the snow and the way your eyes rolled back into your head as you passed out. I see it every damn time I close my eyes."

Sighing, he shifted on the bed and brought a hand up to ghost over the bandage that peeked out from beneath the sleeve of her T-shirt. His touch was feather light; almost not touching at all, yet for Bella it felt every molecule in her body was taking notice.

"Edward, don't…," she sighed,not liking where this conversation was headed. "I'm sorry if I made you worry, but as you can see I'm fine, no serious injuries to speak of."

"Are you mad at me?" he asked, and then added, almost angrily, "You are almost always mad at me for one thing or another."

"No Edward, I'm not mad at you. However I can't say I'm particularly happy with you at the moment either. I mean, barging into my room in the middle of the night, reeking like a liquor store… What were you thinking?"

"I'll tell you what I was thinking…" With no fanfare and no warning, he put his hand behind her neck and pulled her closer until her forehead was almost touching his. "I was thinking we should talk. You're leaving and there is so much scsshit still up in the air."

His breath was warm against her cheek and the unmistakable scents of whiskey and cigarettes mixed with a subtle, masculine odor, invaded her senses. The urge to shudder was overwhelming. Revulsion, she told herself firmly, that's all it was. He was not getting to her that easily. No way, no how.

"It's the freakin' middle of the night!" She shut her eyes tightly and counted to ten, but when she opened them again he was still there, still staring intently at her. "Clearly I didn't twist your arm hard enough when I had a chance, or you're simply too dense to take a hint."

"I don't care what time it is. I'm not going anywhere," he declared stubbornly and drove his hands into her hair as if he was anchoring himself to her.

"Geez, you're like a leech, there is no getting rid of you, is there?"

"Nope," he responded in a determined tone, letting the roughened pads of his fingers stroke the bare skin above the neckline of her T-shirt. This time there was no stopping the shudder that ran down her spine.

"See, I knew you'd come around. You want me here…just as much as I want to be here." His lips curled upwards as he cupped her chin and forced her to look him in the eyes. "We can talk, or we can fool around. Either is fine by me. It's up too you."

"All right, you caught me… I find your drunken nonsense hugely appealing and can't bear the thought of being here without you… alone… sleeping in a quiet, empty, room ... alone. Just me and lots and lots of uninterrupted sleep. Who would want that? Not me. Nope…"

"Hey now, I'm not so wasted that I can't detect sarcasm."

"Are you sure? You seem a bit slow on the uptake. Let me break it down for you. Stop hogging the mattress! I want some breathing space and I want it now! You'd better get out of my face before I have to hurt you!"

Something sounding suspiciously like a giggle escaped his lips. "Aww, but I just wanna talk. Talking is GOOD. Talking is our FRIEND. Talkiiiing is what NORMAL people do."

"Yeah, well here's the thing, I refuse to have this conversation, or any serious conversation, with you, when my ass is cramping from hanging halfway over the edge of the bed."

"Ops, sorry," he apologized, with a sheepish laugh. "Wouldn't want that fabulous tuschhh of yours to go numb."

"Then get moving, you big lug!"

"I'm working on it." Rather than just backing away, he quickly, and quite abruptly, cradled her to his chest, and rolled them both backwards until they were laying sideways, face to face, at the dead the center of the bed.

"Better?" Edward asked, looking mighty pleased with himself.

Bella bit back a strangled groan of frustration. Her arm throbbed in protest and then the room swirled for a second, before righting itself. "You're making my head spin, and not in a good way," she finally managed to utter.

She was half expecting her stomach to lurch. It didn't, but once the initial wave of dizziness had subsided, she became acutely aware that the comforter, which had been doubling as her security blanket all this time, was now bunched up in a tangled heap underneath Edward on the bed. Even more alarming, though, was unmistakable sensation of something hard and warm pressing against her thigh. Only Edward would get turned on from bickering like a pair of high school kids. He was one horny bastard, that one, that's for sure.

Another cause of concern was the knee between her legs and the hand resting on her hip, dangerously close to her swollen abdomen. And on top of everything else, her hormones had chosen that exact moment to run wild on her. In a matter of seconds there was wetness where there shouldn't be, and an ache that had little to do with her wounded arm and everything to do with the close proximity to hard male flesh.

Great! Just great! If Edward got wind of this, he would never back down.

Her mind screamed at her to act, to put some distance between them. "Distract, delay, delude" it chanted over and over again, but how could she distract him, when she was utterly and completely distracted herself at the moment?

He said he wanted to talk, but talking was off the table. It was safe to say that they were both going to need a clear and rested, not to mention sober, mind for that.

Sadly, sex was a no-go as well. She was feeling flabby and bloated all around and had pretty much resigned to the fact that she wasn't going to be getting naked with anyone for a very, very a long time.

Now, kicking his ass out of the bed, however satisfying it would be, wasn't an ideal solution either. Despite her threats, she wasn't prepared to try and physically remove him from the room. There was a pretty big risk that he wouldn't go quietly, and waking the whole house was something she most definitely wanted to avoid. But frankly, it wasn't like she had a shitload of options to choose from.

Distract, delay, delude… she needed to do something, fast… While her mind was still busy going over the pros and cons in her head, her hands had already made the decision for her. Without even realizing what she was doing, shehad reached for the waistband of his sweatpants. Damn hormones!

"On your back," she heard herself bark in a strangely hoarse voice.

This was going to come back and bite her in the ass, big time, but if a god ol' hand job wasn't distraction enough, she didn't know what was. Edward seemed to be in agreement, because he was quick to obey, scrambling to lie on his back like a good little puppy. And WOALA… there was that breathing space she had wished for.

With a little bit of tugging and a lot of wiggling, she managed to get the comforter not only freed, but back where it belonged again - wrapped around her body, toga style this time. If Edward thought she was acting strange, he didn't let it on. It seemed almost too easy. Now all she had to do was to keep him distracted… Oh, and keep her hormones in check. How hard could it be?

Speaking of hard… With all the wiggling that had been going on, Edward's already quite visible bulge had grown to monstrous proportions, straining against the front of his gray sweatpants.

''You say you wanna talk, but are you sure talking is what you really want me to do with my mouth?"

She watched his breath hitch at her words and smirked. His breathing was becoming laboured, and she hadn't even touched him yet.

With the comforter still wrapped firmly around her, she straddled his thighs. It gave her immense satisfaction to see his stomach muscles clenching in anticipation. What she didn't like though was the way his roving hands went straight for her hips.

"I want you gripping the headboard!" she told him, him using her most commanding voice, which, unfortunately wasn't very commanding at all. The effort to hold it all in-, hold herself together, made her sound breathy and weak. Apparently though, it must have hit a nerve with Edward, because he complied to her wishes almost instantly, but not without planting the soles of his feet against the mattress first.

This new angle of his thighs bought on a shift in balance. Bella found herself tipping forward, sliding almost all the down to his groin. She caught herself on her hands and knees just inches short of a homerun. His erection was trapped between their bodies, so very, very close to her aching core. Leaving her feeling awkward and vulnerable and more turned on than she could ever remember being in her life.

It took a great deal of willpower not to rub herself against that bulge, against those thighs, against any hard surface really. However, reality put a damper on things. There was only so much weight her injured arm could take before it threatened to cave. Before she knew what had happened she found herself stuck in a twister like pose that was far from comfortable.

Edward found her predicament highly amusing. "You're looking a bit shaky there, tiger."

"Let me down, you cocky bastard! If I tear my stitches, it won't be pretty! "

"What stitches? I'm pretty sure you didn't get any stitches."

"Ugh.. You know what I mean!"

"Fine, " he relented, letting his thighs sink down into the matters again. "I expect a reward though, for being such a good sport."

"What did you have in mind?" she asked, already straddling his thighs again, tugging at the drawstring that held his pants together. She saw no point in dragging it out any longer than necessary.

"I'm sure we can work something out," he groaned as her knuckles, 'accidentally' brushed against his arousal.

After a few moments of picking at the knot, she got it undone. Actually, in her determination to move things along, she managed to get the drawstring completely separated from the rest of the fabric of his sweatpants. She hadn't planned it that way, it just sort of happened.

The string was of the elastic kind, so it stretched and snapped against Edwards lower abs, causing him to jerk quite violently in surprise. Some colorful words could be heard, but there was also some serious twitching going on in the nether regions.

Edward's eyes were suddenly growing dark and heavy-lidded and gawd… he looked adorable all flushed like that.

She did it again, letting the string snap against his hipbone this time.

Edward moaned, the sound definitely one of pleasure this time. "Bella, what are y-"

"Relax," she told him. "I promise I'll make it good for you."

"You're making me nervous with that thingy," he whined, trying, but failing to grab the drawstring from her hand.

"Why is that?" she asked. "It's soft and thin. It doesn't chafe or scratch. I bet it would look great around your wrists, don't you think?"

"You're tying me up?" he gulped, his Adam's apple bobbing nervously.

"Now that's an idea worthy of consideration," she smirked. "What if I am? Would that be a problem?"

His hesitation was visible, and Bella could almost see the conflict raging within him. His fear of being restrained versus the undeniable pull he felt for these kind of power games.

"Just my arms?" he asked, for clarification. "I'll let you do it as long as it's just my arms."

"Just your arms," she agreed, letting a hand slid down to palm his arousal. "… and perhaps maybe a blindfold?"

"You're not playing fair, Bella," he growled low in his throat.

"You want me to stop?" She accented her question by squeezing him tighter.

"Yes! No! Christ! Just give me a second let me think," he all but whimpered. "Will you still be here in the morning?" he panted. "If I agree to this, you won't disappear like you did last time?"

"You have my word," she promised him somberly." I won't leave until we've had that 'talk' you've been insisting on. And unlike all the other times the times in the past, you'll actually listen to what I have to say before you pass your judgment."

He nodded vigorously, because, really, what else could he do, she literally had him by the balls. While she knew it didn't mean much, she still hoped he wold remember and honor his part of the deal in the morning.

She realized she was still fondling him and him go. He let out what sounded like a whimper at the loss of her touch. This was just too much. Clutching the comforter to her chest, she inched away from him. Part of her wanted hurry the fuck of and get it over with already. Another part, a bigger part, told her to savor the moment, because she might never get the chance to touch him like this again.

While she was fretted over her decision, Edward's hands had found their way to her hips again. Stubborn bastard! Shaking her head, she crawled off of him and swung her legs over the edge of the bed.

"I'm gonna use the bathroom real fast, but when I get back I expect to see you in your full naked glory."

"You'll let me see your sch-… schpec-… spectacular tits this time?"

"Do I need to explain the concept of a blindfold to you?"

"Just a quick peek; a nipple, some cleavage, something… anything…" he pleaded, pushing himself up to kneel unsteadily at the center of the bed. Without the drawstring, his sweatpants hung so low on his hips that it looked like there might be a wardrobe malfunction at any moment.

Bella fled the room while she still had control over her mind and body.

She let out a deep sigh when she had closed and locked the door, relieved to be in the sanctuary of the bathroom.

There, hanging on a wooden hanger, was the terry robe that Esme had lent her. It was ridiculously thick and plush, with a fit that could probably be described as the complete opposite of slimming. Sometimes though a little bit of bulkiness could be strangely forgiving on the curves. At least that was the effect that Bella was hoping for.

Trading one armor for another, she let the comforter fall to the floor and hurriedly slipped into the robe. Guiding the heavy fabric over the bandage on her arm proved to be darn near impossible. The robe was simply too snug in the area around the armpit. The T-shirt would have to go. It was either that, or losing the bandage all together, with all the risks that would entail. It was an easy decision.

Deliberately avoiding the mirrors in the room, she disrobed again and pulled the shirt over her head. By the time the robe was back on again, with the sash tied securely around her waist, her pulse had become so erratic she feared she might pass out.

Was she really going through with this? Was she really going to do this?

There was no question that she wanted him; that she wanted to do this for him… with him. Surely, one more deception wouldn't matter at this point. He was bound to hate her either way. Besides, it wasn't deception if she wasn't lying, right? She REALLY wanted this, with every fiber of her being. That was no lie.

The decision was made. As she unlocked the door, it wasn't just her doubts she was leaving behind - no, her panties had somehow gone missing as well.


	29. Chapter 28 Awakening

Edward woke to a pounding headache and serious dry mouth problem. It took him a few moments to work up enough saliva to swallow and then another moment, or seven, to force his eyes to open. The brightness from the ceiling lights made his headache pick up a notch or two.

"Time to rise and shine, sweetheart," said a voice from somewhere above him.

He knew that voice, it belonged to his mother. Groaning, he squeezed his eyelids shut again and turned his face into the pillow.

When he made no move to get up, she nudged him slightly. "I'm serious Edward. I caught Anthony going down the stairs, sliding on his tummy. Would have been cute, if it wasn't for his heart wrenching sobs. I can only imagine how lost he must have felt waking up alone in an unfamiliar bed, in an unfamiliar place. No wonder he was upset."

"No wonder," Edward agreed groggily, without even opening his eyes.

"Did you hear what I just said? Your son needs you. I've done everything I can to calm him down, but I'm still a stranger to him and he just barely tolerates my company. He won't let me change him out of his pyjamas, and trust me, he REALLY needs to be changed out of that pyjamas."

The bed dipped as if a heavy weight had just been placed on it; a weight that crawled and squirmed and wriggled like a maggot on a hot rock.

"Mom…." Edward all but whined, pulling up his legs to protect himself from the crawling toddler. "My head is killing me. I don't care what you do, just take him elsewhere."

"Edward Anthony Cullen, I'm disappointed in you. You smell like you've just finished a shift in a brewery."

"Distillery," he mutteredmoreto himself than in reply as he, with his eyes still shot, began prying the bundle of pointy bones and sharp claws away from him.

"What?"

"Never mind… I can't think straight right now," he groaned, pushing the child away firmly. "How about we try this some other time when the room is not spinning?"

"So, you're telling me that you're too hung over to take care of your son? Is that it?"

"No. Yes…Probably." The admission came with a pained wince. "It's dad's fault! He's the one who brought out the hard liquor."

"Funny, your brother said almost the precise same thing…when I found him passed out, face down, on the couch in the downstairs den," his mother exclaimed, clearly not the least bit amused by this.

"Well, there you go. Why do you question it?"

"I question it because I know for a fact that your father was in his bed, fast asleep, snoring peacefully by the time the clock struck midnight."

Edward opened his eyes to glare at her. "I'm telling you, he was the one that thought it was fitting to end the evening with a bottle of twelve year old malt whiskey."

"And I'm telling you, that unless someone tampered with it or forced it down your throat, it is 100% your own fault if your head is hurting."

The bed shifted again and for a moment he thought she was actually leaving and taking the boy with her, but nope, no such luck…. Turns out she was merely stopping the little rugrat from tumbling over the edge of the mattress.

"Hung over or not, you are needed for daddy duty," she declared and then resolutely placed the boy on the pillow next to Edwards head. "And no, we can't save this for later. You're not the only one stinking up the place right now. Let's just say a diaper change is long over do."

"Gee, thanks mom, I can smell that much." Edward grumbled, as his stomach threatened to expel any leftover contents. He didn't gag, but only because he was distracted by small hands patting his head tentatively.

"Edda?" the little boy asked, poking Edward in the cheek with two not so gentle fingers. Edward growled, baring his teeth, causing Anthony to erupt into a fit of giggles.

"Ed-da...Ed-da...Ed-da...Ed-da...Ed-da..." he chanted, patting his fathers face, faster and harder with each pronounced syllable.

"Cut it out, kiddo!" Edward barked before he could stop himself. This startled Anthony of course, who shrieked and scooted away in a hurry. Despite the fog that was clouding his brain, Edward realised his mistake straight away. His arm reached out almost on instinct, grabbing a hold of the boy, before he got too close too the edge of the bed.

His head protested loudly to the sudden movement and so did the child. Cue quivering lips, giant crocodile tears and the occasional loud wail of outraged indignation.

To Edward, the noise was like nails on a chalkboard. Stifling a pained whimper, he forced himself up to something resembling a sitting position. "I really can't do this right now, " he told his mother, pushing the boy, quite forcefully into her arms. "Take him to Bella, she'll know what to do."

Almost as soon as the words where out of his mouth, something struck him; something he should've have taken note of since the minute he opened his eyes. He was in the guest room, Bellas room, but Bella was nowhere to be found.

Could she have left already? Was she already gone?

"What time is it?" he questioned, craning his neck to look for a clock. That's when his gaze fell on a pair of red flannel long johns tied to the bedpost above his head.

Crap!

So, that's why his limbs, especially his hands felt tingly and weird, like he had no circulation or something. The drawstring from his sweatpants was still there, tied around his right wrist like a funny looking bracelet .. and wait… yup, he was stark naked, except for the sheet he had wrapped around his waist.

Crap, Crap and double crap! No wonder his mother was looking at him strangely. He felt his face and neck heat at being caught behaving like such a mess. The embarrassment was nothing compared to the fear that squeezed his stomach though.

"Please, tell me she's still here…" The plea escaped his lips, before he could even process what he was saying.

"Who? Isabella?"

"No, the fairy godmother," he exclaimed, tugging at his hair in frustration.

"She's still asleep and I'm not planning on waking her. The poor girl looked beyond exhausted last night."

"I don't understand. She's sleeping… where exactly? I mean this is her bed… Did she join Emmett downstairs?"

"No, she's in your room, actually. Imagine my surprise when followed Anthony to your room and found our guest fast asleep in your bed. Or well, on top of your bed, really." Her eyebrows furrowed like she had just thought of something. "I worry she might have caught a cold, because she was wrapped in both a robe and a

duvet."

"She seemed fine when I last spoke to her, better than fine even…" Suddenly and without warning, a sensory memory flashed, like a lightning bolt, through his mind; the feel of her body moving on top of his. Isabella, in her terry robe, mounting him like a cowgirl on her stallion. He had been totally into it, even blindfolded and tied. The smell, the sound, the heat… Err, this was not the time to be reliving those kind of memories.

Edward shook himself out of his little daze. Thankfully it seemed as though this mother's attention was momentarily distracted. Apparently, Anthony had a snatched a cylindrical looking object from the bedside table, which he was threatening to swallow whole. It looked like a stick of lip balm; Bella's lip balm, most likely. Bella…

He cleared his throat. "Like I was saying, Bella seemed fine when I last spoke to her," he tried to pass it off nonchalantly, but his mother wasn't having it.

"Was this before or after you left Emmett passed out on the couch?" she asked, flashing him a questioning yet knowing smile.

"Oh ha, very funny," he sneered. "After, if you must know. I sough her out hoping to get her to talk to me, but I guess I must have fallen asleep and I guess Bella must have decided that Anthony needed her company more than I did."

"Clearly, the woman is a saint," Esme concluded, with a hint of a smile. "She's good with the boy, yes? And Anthony likes her?"

"Very much so."

"What about you, honey? You like her, too, right? Judging by the giant hickey on your neck, I'd say she tucked you in good and proper last night."

"Mom!" he hissed, embarrassed and annoyed at the same time. "You did not just say that!"

"I did and I'm not taking it back. It's quite obvious that you two still fancy each other, but I'll stay out of it, I promise." She held her hands up in a gesture of surrender. "However, you should probably know that I asked Mr. Anderson, the farmer that keeps our driveway clear of snow, to save us for last. We have almost fifteen inches of untouched snow piled up, starting on our front step and all they way down to the main road."

"Great, does this mean you've taken up meddling as a hobby now? " he muttered, looking up at the ceiling.

"You can thank me later, dear. Oh, and one more thing…" She lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "…you were probably right about your father and the whiskey. I wouldn't be surprised if he brought that bottle out on purpose. Pretty clever of him… clever and just a tad bit mean. Emmett can't hold his liquor for shi-… for the life of him. Let's just say he won't be driving anywhere in the current state he's in."

"Arggg… I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear a word of what you just said. My head hurts way too much to try and make sense of any of it."

"That's fine. We can talk about this later… when Alice gets here. I'm sure she'll want a full report," she smirked patting his shoulder. "Now, back to the matter at hand. Let's do something about this diaper situation, shall we?" 


	30. Chapter 29 like a dog with a bone

_**AN - Would you believe it? An actual, honest to God real update! I hope you forgive me for running a bit behind on replying to those of you that have left reviews. Doesn't mean I don't appreciate every single one of those reviews. it just means I'm struggling with my writing at the moment.**_

**Chapter 29 - Like a dog with a bone.**

Half past ten! Crap!

Bella could not believe how late she had slept. There were sounds of activity coming from the kitchen and it wouldn't surprise her if the whole household had been up and buzzing for hours. Breakfast was probably well under way. How embarrassing!

Normally she was an early riser, but all the drama that had occurred over the past 24 hours must have really done her in. She had a vague memory of setting the alarm clock on her phone the night before, but she had no memory of the alarm actually going off; probably because she had woken up in a bed that was not the one she had intended to wake up in.

Instead of her phone, she had found an old fashioned clock radio in the spot on the bedside table where her personal belongings should have been. The display had been blinking 04:44 at her with big red letters, indicating that the power had been out sometime during the night. It must have been a passing thing though, because the ceiling light shone brightly above her as she sneaked her way back into the guestroom to retrieve a fresh change of clothes from her suitcase.

Next surprise came when she set foot inside the bathroom. The floor was ice cold and when she turned the faucet on in the shower the water barely reached a lukewarm trickle. Not that she had time for anything other than a quick wash up anyway… but still, not the best start of the day.

Apparently it was one of those mornings where nothing quite went right, because after the icy shower came a minor wardrobe crisis. Or actually there was nothing minor about it, seeing as clothes are not an optional, but a required attire outside the privacy of your bedroom or bathroom.

With only two pair of jeans left in her suitcase that would still fit over her hips, she really didn't put much thought into planning what she going to wear these days. Jeans and a big comfy sweater had become her standard uniform and her main rule about wardrobe was comfort. Over the last couple of days she had been forced to accept that buttons were a lost cause. However, this particular morning it wasn't just the top button that was rebelling, it was the zipper too. Try as she might, nothing worked. She couldn't get it to go more than half way up before it dug into the flesh of her abdomen.

And now she stood there, in front of the mirror in Esme's guestroom, turning this way and that, not quite believing what she was seeing. The style was low cut and the fabric was stretch fit denim, but there was no denying the gap that spread between one side of the zipper to the other. No amount pulling or breath holding would fix this.

Sure, the rational part of her brain had known that this was bound to happen one day soon(ish). The bump had been present for a while now, constantly growing and lately even getting in the way occasionally, but THIS, the image staring back at her in the mirror, was ridiculous. Her stomach had gone from a looking bloated and shapeless to looking like a full on pregnant belly in less than 24 hours! It had literally popped over night.

Bella went through every single piece of clothing she had in her suitcase, but each item she tried on only seemed to emphasize the bump instead of disguise it. Nothing fit well, or looked right. Well, nothing except the terry robe that Esme had lent her, that is. Edward's parents seemed pretty laid back, sure, but where they were the kind of folks that ate breakfast clad in bathrobes and night attires? Probably not… Not when the hour was nearing eleven o'clock and not when there were two toddlers in the house that probably had been up and bouncing since the crack of dawn. Besides the robe sort of smelled funny after the previous night's activities...

Great! That thought immediately brought up a flood of images she had been trying to repress all morning; images of Edward, laying flat on his back on her bed in his stark naked glory. She remembered crawling over him, straddling him, and lowering herself on to him with the robe billowing out behind her the entire time. She hadn't let him touch her, hadn't let him see her, but their bodies had been entangled in the most intimate of fashions. He had been tied and blindfolded, not to mention silly drunk. There was just no way he could have seen, or noticed anything different about her physique…. Or was there? She had all but collapsed on top of him afterwards, laid on his chest until her breathing had returned to normal.

Self-doubt gnawed at her as she stood there in front of the mirror. She saw panties that dug into her hips, breasts trying to burst out of her bra and a waist that no longer existed. She was huge… and it would only get worse from here…

No, this wasn't going to work. With a deep-drawn sigh, she tore her eyes away from the mirror. It was just a matter of time before someone would come looking for her. She had been lucky there had been no knocks on her door yet. There had to be something, anything, in her suitcase she could use… And just like that she a brilliant idea struck her. Obviously she had been looking in the wrong place. Obviously Edward's suitcase was more likely to hold the answer to her prayers. With renewed hope, she secured the robe around her, unlocked the bathroom door and set out to raid Edward's luggage… or whatever luggage she could get her hands on… She was in no position to be picky.

.

…

.

Exactly thirteen minutes later, Bella finally made it down the stairs and came stumbling into the kitchen. Stumbling because with this being one of those mornings where nothing quite went right, it seemed almost fitting that she would trip over the bottom two stairs, making a rather undignified entrance into the room.

All conversations halted, and all heads turned. They probably took one look at her and thought "what the **** is that? Not that she blamed them. The outfit she had eventually settled on could only be described as a mix between hipster chick and pigeon-feeding bag lady, consisting of not one but three layers of garments, most of which were Edward's. He was bound to recognize an item or two and think she had gone completely nuts, but as far as the rest of his family was concerned she hoped to get away with it by simply stating that she was cold. Isn't it a well known fact that layered clothing is the basis of good outdoor dressing?

The stares dragged on in painful silence as the minutes ticked past. Ok, maybe not minutes, but seconds. Long enough for the paranoia to really kick in. Then, finally, a throat was cleared and a chair was pulled out and wit that the entire kitchen erupted into a cacophony of "good mornings", "hellos" and high-pitched toddler squeals.

Not too surprisingly it was mama Cullen (or did she prefer nana Cullen these days?) that took the lead. "Good to see you awake at last," she exclaimed and quickly got to her feet to fetch more china from the cupboard.

Blushing, Bella prepared to apologize, but she was cut off before she even had a chance to open her mouth.

"No, don't feel bad. We thought it was best to let you sleep as long as possible," Esme hurried to add, setting out a matching plate and a bowl set on the table. "I was worried Elliott would wake you when he barged into the room looking for his uncle Eddie, but that was three hours ago, so I'm guessing you slept right through it."

It was a perfectly innocent remark, but Bella felt her blush come back in tenfold, nonetheless. There was no doubt in her mind that Esme knew exactly which beds and which rooms had been used and by whom.

She braved a glance in Edward's direction, but he refused to meet her gaze. He was clearly nursing a hangover of great magnitude and she could tell from the blank expression on his face, that she would get no help from him.

If Esme hadn't figured it out yet, she would soon enough. Bella felt her cheeks grow warm yet again, remembering how there was now chafe marks on the otherwise pristine metal framed headboard in Esme's guestroom. And the bedclothes… She could only imagine what state they were in. The sheets most likely reeked of all sorts of iffy body odors! Yikes! She felt like a teenager all over again, and not in the good, nostalgic way.

Mortified, she hastily sank down into the chair, that Dr. Cullen, dutifully, had pulled out for her. "I'm sorry. This is embarrassing. I never sleep this late. Ever," she blurted, mostly because she felt like she had to say something, but didn't necessarily feel like explaining the real reason why her face had turned beet red.

"No worries. You probably needed every ounce of rest you could get," Edward's father reassured her, a small smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. "Everyone is tired this morning—seems like no one got much sleep last night," he added, sharing a knowing smile with his wife.

Returning the smile, Esme placed a tea cup on the table in front of Bella. "From what I understand there was a private meet-up down by the liquor cabinet happening sometime around midnight," she revealed, filling the cup to the brim with hot water. "Without mentioning any names I can tell you that out of all the full grown Cullen men, only one made it back to his own bed afterwards."

Uh-uh!

"Mom!" Edward spat, around a mouthful of cereals and dropped his spoon on the table with a loud clank.

Esme shrugged like she didn't know why he was upset. "You have something you want to add, honey?"

He grumbled something intangible.

"I didn't think so."

Carlisle was outright laughing now. His two sons… not so much…. Especially not Edward, but Emmett didn't look all that amused either. Actually he looked kind of green around the gills, which made more sense now. Bella could have sworn she had seen Emmett's head resting, face down, on the table, when she first entered the room. Now she knew why. Must have been some party…

Bella was still debating with herself as to what would be the appropriate response what she had just learned when Esme leaned forward and added in a conspiratorial whisper "I don't blame you for not putting up with the fumes and the whiskey induced snoring."

"MOM!" Edward looked like he was about to explode, or maybe choke… or maybe both… Then he started coughing violently. His face didn't turn blue or anything, but it was easy to tell that he was struggling for real with his breathing.

Panicking, Emmett reached over and hit his brother's back forcefully. Edward heaved forwards, narrowly avoiding hitting his head on the table. Thankfully, Carlisle caught him before he fell off his chair.

The whole exchange caused great amusement among the toddler sized patrons around the table. Elliott was clapping his hands squealing loudly, while Anthony was giggling hysterically from his highchair. Good to see the two youngest members of the Cullen clan actually bounding over something for once. Too bad someone had to nearly choke to make that happen though.

Edward coughed a few more times, but eventually regained his composure. Carlisle checked his pulse and his pupils before he gave him a clear bill of health. Upon returning to his seat Edward glared at his brother, punching him in the arm. "That bloody hurt, you stupid wanker!"

"What? I used an open palm and everything. Next time, don't turn to me when you're choking," Emmett whined, rubbing his arm and then his temples. "Great, my headache just reached a whole new level of GODDAMN."

"You should drink more water," Carlisle advised, returning to his coffee. "Now, speaking of headaches, how is your arm this morning, Isabella?"

Bella blinked a few times, because of the sudden change of topic. Not that she was complaining. This felt like perhaps the first real safe topic they'd touched all morning.

"Still attached, so that's good," she answered, releasing a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. "I guess you could say I iced it, thoroughly, when I stepped into the shower earlier. Accidently, I might add, because I was actually trying to keep the bandaged part out of the water, but I ended up having all sorts of funny, uncontrollable muscle spasms when the cold water hit."

"I'm sorry!" Esme apologized, whining. "Aww, now I feel bad for not warning you. The under-floor heating and the hot water system that's not working properly, due to the storm."

"Ah, I figured that much."

"It has actually never happened before," Carlisle shook his head. " We have solar cells on the roof, but rely on electricity for backup. I suspect some of the electronic circuits must have been damaged from one of the many power fluctuations we have been experiencing."

"I think he could be right," Esme was quick to agree. "The lights have been flickering on and off all morning."

Emmett was a bit more skeptical. "Maybe it's just a fuse that's blown, but you're simply too untechnical to find it."

"Maybe… I'm merely a simple trauma surgeon, after all."

His wife hid a snicker behind her hand. Apparently even the sun had its spots… interesting…

"Either way, it will take a while before we can get someone here to look at it," Esme, concluded, turning her attention back to Bella. "In the meanwhile, just let me know if you want me to boil some hot water for you on the stove so that you can wash up properly."

"I'm good at the moment, but thank you. I'm going to need some help with the dressing on my arm though. It's wet through and through.

"Carlisle will help you! Wont you honey?"

"Of course. We can go straight to my office once Isabella is done with her breakfast. There are a few other things we need to discuss as well. I have some notes I'd like her to have a look at among other things."

"Among other things? Wow, that didn't sound creepy at all, dad!"

"Yes Edward, you can come too."

"Mom, would you mind watch-,,,?"

"…watching my grandbaby. No honey, I don't mind at all. Didn't you say you wanted to bring Bella down to the pool house to show her those fancy new security cameras we installed last month?"

"Smooth, mom! Real smooth," Emmett laughed, while Edward rolled his eyes.

"Yes, I'd love to have a chance to talk with Bella in private if that can be arranged."

Gawd, he was like a dog with a bone… never giving up.

"Good, then it's all settled." Esme agreed.

"Actually, I've got a question…" Bella interrupted, half amused, half alarmed that these people were making plans over her head. – it was like they'd forgotten she was even there. "This one is for Emmett. Not to sound impatient or anything, but we need a revised time plan for the remainder of the day. When do you think you've sobered up enough to get on the road. The weather seem to have improved a great deal. I don't mind driving the first part or even the entire way if necessary, as long as you provide a car."

"I… ehm…"he spluttered, the green tint returning to his face again.

"What Emmett is trying to say is that we need to do something about the snow on the driveway first." Esme, informed matter of fact. "We were actually talking about this before you came down. There are inches after inches of untouched snow piled up, starting on our front step and all the way down to the main road."

"Isn't your driveway almost four miles long?"

"Four and a half. Normally we have someone that helps us take care of the snow, but his assistance and expertise is needed elsewhere at the moment."

"That's true. I've heard the West River Road is still closed down," Emmett piped in.

His father nodded in agreement," yes, as is the northbound freeway entrance. It's a mess. The ambulances can't get to where they are needed. The same goes for the staff. I'm suppose to clock in for a shift this afternoon."

"You better grab a shovel and start shovelling then, if you want to make it there in time."

"Actually, fresh air and physical exercise are believed to be some of the most efficient cures for hangovers," Carlisle smirked at his two sons over his cup of coffee. "It will do wonders for your headaches."

"You want to see me puke my guts out?" Emmett asked, with a groan. "It won't be a pretty sight, I can assure you."

"There will be NO puking today," Esme decided in a no-nonsense tone of voice. "I'm sure if the lot of you work together you can have the driveway cleared in a few hours."

"Your mother is right. Just make sure you rehydrate properly before you go out and you'll be fine."

"Now Bella, let me get you some food. Do you like fruit or syrup with your pancakes?"

Bella felt her stomach churn and swallowed hard, bracing herself for the worst. She would have to side with Emmett on this one. No matter what Esme said, someone would most definitely be puking before the day was over.

….


	31. Chapter 30  Why hello again diary!

**Chapter 30 - Why hello again diary!**

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Why hello again diary!

I've decided it's about time I added another entry to move things along… Awesome, right? Let me start by setting the scene. Imagine your average hot spot night club on a late Friday night. Now fill that night club with throbbing beats, flashing lights and hundreds of party goers; a big, swanky birthday bash of sorts, a Radio station celebrating five year of broadcasting.

So, there I was playing the perfect little employee, serving appetizers and drinks in the VIP lounge, all the while waiting for my guy to make an appearance. The first couple of hours were nerve wrecking. He was on my radar for sure. There was no way he could slip past me without being noticed, but what if he was a no-show? What if he got sick? Got sidetracked? Got into an accident on the way there? Nothing is worse than to see a carefully crafted plan sink before it even gets in the water.

For hours there was no sight of him, and then there he was, breezing past the velvet ropes, walking straight towards me, like a mirage materializing out of thin air. Only it wasn't a mirage, he was really there. I recognized him almost instantly. Those eyes, that hair, that confident swagger. He was just as stunning as I remembered him, only older, more masculine and chiseled. Gah, what a delicious jaw line!

My cater server gig played out better than I could have ever imagined. I was carrying both appetizers and drinks, in other words I had a darn near perfect excuse to approach him. Naturally, I snatched him up before the other bitches a.k.a. my lovely colleagues, could get to him.

I had been wondering whether or not he would recognize me. He didn't, but that was perfectly understandable, seeing as I had been an awkward teenager the last time our paths had crossed. Thankfully, my overall appearance had improved a great deal since then. My skin was clearer and my frizzy hair had been tamed once and for all. Even if I still depended on my glasses, I sometimes traded them for contacts and smoky eye shadow for special occasions. This was, of course, one of those occasions. But most importantly, I had finally grown some boobs. They weren't C cups, but with the right push-up bra they came close.

I certainly made sure to show off my new assets as I said my hello. Eyelashes were batted and dimples flashed, but despite my best efforts he declined both oysters and champagne. It was not all in vain, though. When I asked if there was anything else I could get him, he replied, very politely, that 'if there was any way I could get him an unopened bottle of Heineken, he'd love me forever'. I kid you not, those were his precise words. Needless to say, I made sure he had a bottle of beer in his hand in record time.

Actually, I might have led him to believe that I was a hostess-slash-waitress, rather than just a simple server girl. There was an open bar up and running, but the bar area was absolutely jam packed and the line to get served was ridiculous. So yeah, I told him to give me a holler when he was ready for a refill… and holler he did… many times…

As the night progressed, I played my part as the friendly waitress to perfection and made sure my Eddie had something to drink at all times. There was no small talk. No eye contact. No nothing, but I wasn't too discouraged. There was no use in trying to get anywhere with him before he was liquored up good and proper. He obviously wasn't much of a drinker and kept requesting the same thing; beer served in unopened bottles (boring). However, with a little help from Whitlock, I managed to talk him into mixing it up a bit with some Jaegermeister. Those cute little mini bottles, that came sealed with tamper-proof screw caps, proved to be godsend. Small and innocent-looking, but was chock full of liquor.

Speaking of Whitlock… the whole Eddie-Pete reunion ended up being every bit as crucial as I had expected it would be. Not that I actually got to witness it in its full glory. I was held back by a dispute with one very drunk, very bitchy skank, who thought it was a good idea to yell at me and yank the tray of food I was carrying out of my hands. She was bat shit crazy, and not in a good way, spewing out obscenities and waving her arms around; all because of some bad seafood. If you don't like the food don't eat it! She was thoroughly convinced that the shrimp cocktails were making her break out in hives. Clearly she was tripping on some bad acid or something. Stupid bitch!

But back to the boys and their rekindled 'bromance'… One minute Edward was cruising the party alone, the next he was surrounded by Whitlock and his entourage of handlers and leeches. It was quite the circus there for a while, with all the groupies and hanger-on'ers that Whitlock seemed to attract. I never got what was so appealingabout him… Nothing about him spoke to me; not his looks, his personality or his talent. Especially not his talent, all he did was playing other people's music. Even a five year old could do that. Edward seemed to think very highly of him, though, laughing at his jokes and hanging on his every word. I did not see the fascination at all, but hey each to their own. I shouldn't complain, Whitlock knew how to have a good time and invited everyone along for the ride.

I didn't catch Eddie alone again until way later, when Whitlock disappeared backstage to fulfill some contractual obligations. By that point I was sick and tired of running around serving canapés and doing drink refills and more than ready to reap the rewards of my hard work. So what if my boy wasn't staggering or falling-down-drunk yet… He was definitely buzzed, more relaxed and a lot less on his guard. That was good enough for me. I had waited long enough. I was ready to make my move…

This is how it played out; first I purposely and very studiously, ran smack into him when he was fumbling around for his cigarettes. Then, as he dropped the entire pack of smokes on the floor, I 'accidentally' impaled it…. thrice… with the heel of my shoe, while I pretended to first lose and then regain my balance.

His pack of Marlboro lights was pronounced dead at the scene and I pulled off my best mortified look and pleaded with him to forgive me for my clumsiness. I told him I was due for a break and that if he followed me outside, he could have as many of my cigarettes as he wanted. Before he had a chance to respond, my hand was on his shoulder, pushing him towards the back of the club and the door leading to the staff-only-area behind the bar. His reactions were patheticallyslow and the noise level effectively drowned out whatever objections he may have had.

I half led, half dragged him along a hallway and down a flight of winding stairs, until we reached ground level and the fire exit closest to the parking lot. As I reached out to open the door, I acted as though I had just realized I'd forgotten my key card upstairs... Pretending to go through my pockets, I handed over not one, not two, but three bottles of Jager (what can I say, they were convenient in size, hehe), along with my lighter and my smokes. I told him I had to go back and get my keys, but that he could go ahead and help himself to a cigarette and a drink as long as he didn't go wondering off on his own.

Of course I had no intention of going back upstairs, but Eddie didn't need to know that. Instead I hid in the nearest supply closet and went to work on changing my appearance. First I ripped my white shirt open, sending the buttons flying all over the place. Then I pulled my hair out of its perfectly sculpted up-do and smudged my makeup beyond recognition. The heel of my right shoes was next to go and then to finish off my new look, I added a few red scratch marks on the upper part of my chest and neck.

I was relived to find him waiting exactly where I had left him. He had a lit cigarette in his hand and a somewhat impatient scowl on his face. It would have concerned me more, if I hadn't spotted a discarded screw cap on the floor next to his feet. Good boy! No point in fighting destiny when it's so much more fulfilling to embrace it…

Now, this was where I put on my next award worthy performance. I ran, or rather limped hurriedly towards him, acting like I was being chased by a pack of mad dogs. I threw myself at the door and fumbled with the key, all the while begging hysterically for Edward to help me.

"Get me out of here!"

"He can't find me!"

"Don't let him hurt me!"

And yada yada…

In his alcohol-induced haze he bought every bit of my act; even the part where I clamed to have been harassed by a jealous ex-boyfriend who had showed up unexpectedly at the club. I hadn't been gone more than three minutes tops, not nearly long enough to run up the stairs, run into trouble and then head back down the stairs again. Never the less, Edward swallowed the bait. Hook, line and sinker. So much so that he even offered to comfort the abusive creep of a fucker.

My hero… le sigh!..

I took full advantage, of course, dragging him with me until we were outside and hidden in the shadows at far end of the building. Then I proceeded to cling to him and sob into his shirt for a good five minutes. I had to tone it down a bit, when he started talking about getting help from bouncers, doormen and the security personnel. His protective streak was cute, but I had other plans, obviously. Plans that involved getting Edward away from the club and into my car.

I told him there was no way I was going anywhere with my shirt shred to pieces and my bra and boobs on display for all to see. His eyes widened in an almost comical manner as he fumbled to offer me his hoodie, all the while looking everywhere but directly at me. Aww, his mama thought him good. He was playing right into their hands.

I pleaded with him to stay with me, and to help me get to the spare change of clothes that I kept in the trunk of my car. He obliged of course. It was late and clearly not a safe time for me to cross the dark parking area on my own.

I made sure another bottle was emptied before we reached the car. It seemed even the weather gods were on my side as a sudden downpour of rain came upon us. Naturally I wasn't going to change my clothes standing out in the open, now was I? And naturally Eddie didn't much like the rain either. White shirt… water… chilly weather… taut nipples… It didn't take much coaxing to convince him that getting out of the cold rain and into the car was a good idea… not much coaxing at all…

That's right, sink deep into my web of seduction, boy. Your primal urges will betray you, they will make you weak, but you really can't help it. I know how to bait you, I know how to trigger your rawest instincts, to make you crave my touch, my mouth on your flesh.

Ahhh, good times. Awesome memories… hot memories…. Annnd this is where I'll leave off for now.

Love always,  
Angela Cullen


	32. Chapter 31 A tilt of an axis

**Chapter 31 A tilt of an axis (or perhaps a kick in the ass?)**

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Breakfast felt like it lasted forever and a day. It was slow, torturous ordeal, then again what came next, a trip upstairs to dr. Cullen's home office, didn't exactly sound enjoyable either. And on top of everything else, Edward was being a royal pain in the ass.

"You better start talking, Swan!" he demanded, his hangover momentarily forgotten as he quickening his steps to keep up with Bella's fast pace up the stairs.

He was following so closely on her heels, that she damned near stumbled over him twice.

Gritting her teeth, she restrained herself from chewing him out for being such an annoying, whiny prick. At least he was talking in complete sentences now, instead of just grunting and glaring. It had to count as progress of a sort.

"Forget it! It was nothing important," she told him, sprinting the last few steps up the stairs.

"No way! What exactly did officer Franklin say? First you conveniently forgot to tell me he called and now you won't tell me what the call was about."

"Convenience has nothing to do with it. It just slipped my mind," she told him, shoving his shoulder to get him to give her some space.

"And you only just remembered about it five minutes ago?"

"Yes! Five minutes ago, when I saw Elliott dip Em's phone into his bowl of cereal. Is that so hard to believe?" she asked, feeling slightly offended at his obvious doubt. "Anthony was doing almost the precis same thing with the TV remote the other day while I was on the phone with Franklin."

"And?"

"And what?"

"Surely he must have had a reason for calling?"

"Surely, but if you keep this up you'll never find out what that reason was," she informed him before taking off again. This time she didn't slow down until she had reached the door where Edward's father was waiting for them.

Carlisle's tone was nothing but amused as he greeted them. "I see I was right about physical activity. It really does do wonders for a soggy brain. Wouldn't you agree Ms. Swan?"

"It seems that way. Two flights of stairs and he is starting to sound almost coherent," Bella replied, unable to keep a grin off her face.

"Hey, don't talk about me likeI'm not standing an inch away."

"I'm sorry, son. You haven't exactly been on your most pleasant behavior this morning. You're clearly more alert now though, so that's a step in the right direction. Speaking of steps, why don't you come inside and have a seat," Carlisle suggested, holding the door open wider. "Both of you," he clarified, when neither one of them moved.

"I hope this is alright with you Isabella? I was thinking we could have a little chat while I take a look at that arm of yours. You're entitled to privacy, of course, if that's what you prefer. "

"No, this is fine. I don't think you could make him wait outside even if you tried. He's impatient and stubborn that one."

"Those are family traits, I'm afraid," Dr. Cullen chuckled.

"Still right here!" Edward reminded them with a huff.

"We know Edward."

"Yeah, your presence is kind of hard to ignore, seeing as the fumes you're exhaling strongly resemble those of a toxic waste dump," Bella informed him, ever so kindly, as she rounded him on her way over to the examining table. "But since you're here and since we can't so anything about it, I suggest you close the door, so that we can get this over with as fast as possible."

"The lady is right. Let's get this over with. We have a busy day ahead of us," Carlisle agreed and then pulled out a stool, that he placed in front of his desk chair. "Here Isabella, come sit on this! Though, I think you'll want to remove some clothes first. I'll be needing full access to the wound."

"O-oh, " Bella felt her heart plunge to the pit of her stomach. She had not thought of that and she really, really should have. "There was a blanket here yesterday…. I don't know why, but I seem to be cold to the bone today."

"Ah…. Edward, could you…." Carlisle snapped his fingers and pointed towards the storage units that ran along the wall opposite the door.

"What am I? A dog or something?" Edward grumbled, casting his father an annoyed glare. "Shouldn't you be a little nicer to me, if you want me to fetch you things?"

Carlisle acted like he hadn't caught the remark or seen the look. Bella, however, had heard and seen it loud and clear. It was the opening she needed.

"As a general rule, you'll get back what you put in," she tsked, calling him out on his childish behavior, hoping to get on his nerves. Edward didn't disappoint. He took the bait easily enough.

"Ganging up on me? Gee,thanks a lot Swan." he sneered, turning his back to her.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she laughed dryly as she watched him rummage through various of drawers and cabinets.

When he turned around again he held what appeared to be a brightly colored, giant, fleece poncho in his hands. He held it out for her to grab, but yanked it back when she reached for it.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did you want this?" he asked innocently.

"Children, children," Carlisle chuckled. "I sense some pent up frustration here. Do you want me to step outside and give you some time to work this through?"

"NO," they both protested in unison.

"Are you sure?" he asked quirking an eyebrow at them.

"We're sure, Dr. Cullen," Bella stated, more calmly this time. "I mean, you've seen how grumpy he is, right? I have no wish to be alone with him at this point…. or anytime soon."

"Yeah, she's right. That wouldn't be productive at all," Edward was quick to agree. Too quick…

Bella glared at him from the corner of her eyes. What was he up to now? This did not bode well…

The fleece garment was dropped in her lap. "She's all yours," Edward told his father and then stepped back until he was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and a sinister smile across his face. "Maybe you can get her to talk. She's obviously up to something. She's prone to picking petty fights as a mean of stalling. She does this every single time there is a conversation she wants to dodge."

"I don't think it's my place to…." Carlisle started, but Bella had already fixed Edward with a blazing look, ready to give him a piece of her mind.

"If anyone is stalling it's you!" she snapped. "Don't think you have me fooled one bit. I know damn well you made sure I overslept on purpose this morning."

"You obviously needed it," he pointed out, not looking the least bit guilty.

"…and Emmett's hangover? I willing to bet that was your handiwork too. Actually, Edward, at this point I'm not sure I believe any of this is pure coincidence… not even the snow on the drive way. "

"I think I've heard enough," Carlisle cut in, plucking a pair of surgical gloves from his desk and snapping them on. "How about you save this conversation for later," he suggested, in a no nonsense tone of voice. "I think it's time you let me have a look at that wound now," he added, motioning for Bella to unbutton her shirt.

Crap! She was running out of time. She still needed a diversion; a good one… Goading Edward to lose his temper had seemed like the obvious route to take… unless… suddenly another, less manipulative idea came to her….

"OH-MY-FREAKING-GOOD! What was that?" she squealed, using the highest pitch of her voice. It was abrupt, it was sudden, it was deafening, and both men turned to stare first at her, then at each other.

"What?"

"There, in the corner, behind that box!" She pointed and then made a big deal out of bolting out of her seat. Taking a few steps back she acted like she was trying to put some distance between herself and the object of her sudden outburst. "I swear there was something running across the floor."

Carlisle reached for his overhead desk lamp. "It was probably just a mouse," he suggested, letting the light sweep across the floor.

"Not a mouse. It was a big, fat rat! That's what it was!" Bella insisted, letting her voice waver a little. She could have had so much fun with this had it not been such a delicate situation. "Actually, I think it's behind the bookcase now," she added to keep them distracted.

All she needed was half a minute to slip out of her shirt and long sleeved top …err… Edward's shirt and long sleeved top….and cover herself with the fleece thingy.

How difficult could it be?

Very, apparently. Her pulse had gone from normal to racing and now she had the shakes. Her fingers were not cooperating and there were buttons that needed to come undone. Some agent she was…. sigh…

It took another ten, fifteen seconds before she finally got the shirt out of her way.

"There it is again!" she squeaked, the nerves in her voice only partly pretend.

"Where?"

"To the right! Can't you hear it? It's moving again," she half-whispered, half- hissed, as she hurriedly wrapped the poncho around her like a very lumpy, very odd shaped towel. It wasn't pretty, but it was the best she could come up with under the circumstances.

"I can't hear a thing." Edward grumbled, getting down on his knees to look under the row of furniture lined up against the wall. "Hand me a broom or a mop or something," he demanded, rolling his sleeves up like he was preparing for a fight.

"Aww, my hero!" Bella snickered, unable to keep a straight face now that her own crisis was seemingly averted.

"I mean, hurry up and squash that filthy, disease-spreading vermin!" she amended when she saw him scowling at her over his shoulder. She threw in a shudder for effect. Apparently it wasn't convincing enough or maybe it was too convincing…She could practically see the moment his mind clicked and he figured it out.

"Wait! Hold on a second! Since when are you afraid of a harmless rat, Swan?" he asked, springing back to his feet again.

"Harmless? It was the size of a squirrel," she protested.

Edward was glaring at her suspiciously "There was no rat, was there? You're just trying to get back at me for… well…everything."

She laughed then, a low, dry laugh, because really, what else could she do? "You caught me. I'm totally messing with you," she admitted, secretly high-fiving herself for a well executed diversionary maneuver.

Carlisle cleared his throat. "Uhm…I hate to interrupt, but we still have a wound that needs medical attention," he reminded them with a somewhat odd expression on his face. Poor thing kind of looked like he had just watched something he couldn't quite wrap his mind around.

"Of course," Bella nodded and carefully placed herself back on the stool she had been appointed to. "I've kept my T-shirt on. I hope that's okay?" she asked, holing out her arm and pulling back the sleeve to give him full access of the bandaged area.

"Yes, I can work around it. Are you comfortable, or would you rather move over and lay down on the padded table?"

He sounded odd. No, more than odd, he sounded concerned.

"No, this is fine," Bella insisted.

"Don't hesitate to let me know if you feel dizzy or lightheaded, alright?"

"Gee, doc. You sound like you're about to chop my arm off or something," she tried to joke but it fell flat.

"Ah no, I can almost guarantee that your arm will still be attached when I'm done with it," Carlisle replied without as much as a hint of a smile. "There might be blood though," he warned, rolling his chair over to her and then gently started tugging at the dressing on her arm. "In fact, son, why don't you stop sulking for a few minutes and make yourself useful. I'm sure Isabella wouldn't mind some distraction right about now."

Edward looked like it was the most ridiculous thing he had all morning. "Excuse me, but I think I'm entitled to sulk! She just played me for a fool and laughed at my expense. And then there is the whole secrecy thing… She's keeping things from me. I know it as sure as I know the snow will thaw."

"You're doing yourself no favors here, son," Carlisle interrupted somewhat abruptly. "If she's keeping something from you, she probably has her reasons. You're making it damn hard for anyone to trust you with anything at the moment."

Edward looked like he was about to protest, but then thought better of it. "Fine, I can take a hint. I'll back off, for now," he sighed. "Just tell me one thing, is it bad news? Franklin's phone call? Are you keeping it from me because you think I'll react badly to it?"

"Edward!" his father sighed. "I'm at the end of my patience with you this morning."

"I'm sorry, Dr. Cullen. We've been acting like bickering little children and it's just as much my fault as it is Edward's," Bella hurried to apologize on Edwards behalf. "It's only natural that he has questions about that phone call; questions that I have every intention of answering. I didn't want to get into it until all the involved parties were present, that's all."

"All involved parties? What does that mean?"

"I think she's saying that she wanted both of us present for this. I suspect she wants my professional opinion on something. Is that's right, Isabella?" Carlisle guessed.

"Something like that," Bella nodded. "You're not going to like hearing this, but the police have decided to close the investigation. That's the reason behind officer Franklin's call the other day."

Edward made a miffed sound, but before he could say anything, Bella went on retelling the rest of the phone call. "He knew very well you weren't going to be thrilled about that decision, so he threw us a bone. I guess you could call it a peace offering of sorts. He gave us fingerprints."

"Fingerprints?"

"Yes, fingerprints. They were retrieved from pamphlets found in the church where Anthony was abandoned. It appears as though the priest tried to persuade Anthony's mother to change her mind by giving her a few folders about Catholic group homes and supportive groups for single mothers and their children."

"How were these pamphlets not covered in zillions of fingerprints?" Edward questioned with a dubious frown on his face.

"Conveniently for us, they were freshly printed. Came straight out of the box, it seems..."

"And this woman held them? Touched them? Before threw them in the trash. No wait I bet she told the priest to shove them up his robe covered ass. I bet this is when he learned she wasn't God-fearing, church-going catholic."

"She held them, before she handed them back. I don't know how the conversation went."

Carlisle cleared his throat. "Did the police know about these fingerprints all along, without sharing?"

"It appears that way," Bella replied. "Franklin says he wanted to run them through the appropriate state records before he did anything else."

"Of course that's what he's saying," Edward interjected, somewhat impatiently. "He had no interest in keeping the investigation alive or else he would have passed them on to us straight away. Surely he knows that you have access to all kinds of federal resources he could only dream of getting his hands on."

"Maybe so, but he has been very thorough. I doubt these fingerprints will be the breakthrough we're hoping for."

"They could prove very valuable later on though," Carlisle pointed out. "Fingerprints are actually considered one of the most reliable forms of identification, more reliable than DNA even."

"That's true." Bella agreed. She was turning her head to nod at him when she caught sight of the freshly changed bandage on her arm. "Hey, you work fast! You nearly done?"

"I'm just going to secure it with a couple strips of tape, but once I'm done with that you're good to go."

"This was a breeze compared to the torture you put me through when you cleaned it the first time."

"That's because I didn't have to dig for glass shards this time. It's a nice clean cut, with no sign of infection," he explained, pushing his glasses a little further up on his nose. "Now, seeing as we're already touched on the subject of blood and gore, I have a DNA related question…"

"Alright… shoot!"

"This is going to sound strange, but are we sure that the woman, who brought Anthony to the church that day, was in fact his biological mother?"

Edward's head snapped up in surprise, Bella however, didn't as much as bat an eye lash.

"That's not a strange question at all. Feel free to elaborate."

"I think you're both aware that I've been calling in some favors, right?" It was a rhetorical question and he didn't wait for them to respond before he continued. "I've spoken to a few selected friends with high up positions in the medical field. One of the people I've been in contact with is the head supervisor of Seattle's inner city EMT service. He called me back a few days later telling me that one of the EMT drivers remembers an incident involving a child suffering from an allergic shock and a woman with a butterfly tattoo on her neck."

"When was this?" Bella questioned with piqued interest. "…and where was it?"

"Judkins Park area, sometime around June last year. He drove them to the ER of the UW Medical Center. The child went by the name Tony."

"Have you been able to verify this?"

"No, I haven't received any confirmation that the boy in the ambulance was in fact our Anthony. I doubt we'll ever find out for sure. The interesting part is that the driver claims that the woman with the tattoo was NOT the mother of the child; that she was merely a sitter, or a nanny, or family member or something to that extent. According to him, she spent the entire ambulance ride on the phone arguing with someone."

"Uh... this all sounds pretty vague to me, "Edward interjected, pushing himself off the wall he'd been leaning on.

"No, please, let me finish before you say anything," his father suggested, pulling the latex gloves from his hands throwing them in the trash. "Here's the thing; the EMT driver says it stuck to his memory because of the nature of the phone conversation that he overheard. The child was clearly in need of medical attention, displaying a number of alarming symptoms like facial swelling, discoloration and severe wheezing, yet the woman had to spend a better part of the ride defending her decision to call 911. The rest of the call was spent arguing over money."

"Because the boy was uninsured," Edward guessed.

"It appears that way," his father confirmed. "I'm thinking she might have a roommate. She could be living with a family member, or a friend. Or she could be moving from place to place,like a nomad,with no fixed residence."

"That fits," Bella agreed. "We know she has been having a rough financial situation. She's been forced to cut costs on a lot of things since the child was born. Her splitting rent with someone does certainly plausible given the circumstances. There is also a strong possibility that Anthony has never been enrolled in any type of day care or childcare service."

"Ah, I see where you're going with this," Carlisle nodded. "If that's the case, then there might have been times when this woman has been forced to rely on family members, friends, neighbors, maybe even strangers, to look after the boy."

"Which brings us back to your original question. What if it wasn't Anthony's mother that brought him to the church that day? What if she convinced someone else do it for her?"

"You think she paid someone to do her dirty work?" Edward asked, sounding confused. "Because didn't we just agree that she has no money to speak of?"

"It could have been someone who genuinely cared for the child," his father suggested. "Someone who didn't do it for money. Someone who stepped in and did what he or she thought was ultimately the right thing Anthony. This of course means that the mother could have been long gone by the time you got to the boy and the letter."

"Long gone? How far can she possibly have gotten with no money?"

"Actually, I think your father means long gone, as in dead. Am I right Dr. C?" Bella asked for clarification.

"I…okay, now you lost me," Edward frowned.

"I hope you don't take this the wrong way, Isabella. I'm not questioning your intelligence or professional competence in anyway, but…."

"There is a specific someone you think I might have overlooked."

Carlisle nodded, "Yes, Angela Weber. She was ruled out early, but on what grounds? If you don't mind me asking."

"Whoa! WAIT? Crazy Angela? Stalker Angela?" Edward screeched, but no one around him took any notice of his outburst. In fact Bella was already answering the question. "Firstly, she had been dead for several moths when Anthony was found abandoned. Secondly there was nothing in her records indicating that she had birthed a child. And finally, the handwriting and the way the letter was worded. We found no resemblance between this letter and the many handwritten notes that Ms. Weber was kind enough to leave on Edward's doorstep."

Edward crossed his arms in an angry fashion. "Most importantly, I think I'd know if it was Angela," he stated with firm conviction. "I would have remembered. Meeting her again would have triggered something."

"I don't disagree with you," Bella paused, choosing her next words carefully. "But in the light of this recent development, I suggest we run a DNA test to settle this once and for all."

"Can you really do that, post mortem?" Edward asked looking at his father for answer.

"I don't see why not. Standard procedure would be to go through the family of the deceased to get access to the DNA needed to conduct the test."

"That's where her possessions went after her passing, yes, but these people did not take the news about their daughter's suicide very well. There is something not quite right about that whole family if you ask me. You don't want them anywhere near Anthony. You'll have to trust me on this one."

"I see," Carlisle said thoughtfully. "We'll need to get the DNA elsewhere then."

Edward, sighed. "Isn't that kind of hard to accomplish when the woman is six feet under?"

"Hard but not impossible. It's only been three or four months since she died. All it takes is a hairbrush, a pillowcase, a toothbrush…. ONE nanogram of DNA can be extracted from as few as 200 skin or saliva cells."

"Don't look at me! I don't have anything that belongs to her, neither does Anthony as far as I know."

"Angela Weber was Elliott's nanny. Alice was technically her land lord and she visited Emmett's gym quite frequently… I don't think we'll have to go all that far to find something we can use." Bella paused and offered him a small smile, a sad one, that didn't reach her eyes. "Don't you see, Edward? This is yet another reason why it's important for me to get back to New York."

And with that conversation turned sour again in a matter of moments. It didn't surprise her, she had predicted that much… Edward storming out of the room with an angry scowl on his face, didn't surprise her much either.

It was quiet for a few moments, before Bella sighed and turned to Carlisle, mentally preparing herself to apologize. She opened her mouth to speak but he beat her to it.

"He doesn't know does he?"

"Know what?"

Instead of answering Carlisle reached for his desk lamp. "There are several mirrors attached to this thing, magnifiers too, did you know that?" he asked, angling the lamp so that Bella could see for herself what he was talking about. "There are virtually no dead angles."

"Oh…." Bella felt her blood run cold.

"I had my suspicions, but I wasn't sure until I saw for myself."

"I don't know what you think you saw, but it isn'twhatitlookeslike." She realized she must sound like a royal bitch, but it couldn't be helped. Doctor or not, she wasn't about to confirm anything to this man.

"So the reason you haven't told him is because it doesn't concern him?"

She swallowed and blinked, the lie was on the tip of his tongue, but she couldn't go through with it. Suddenly she felt tired, exhausted, and so sick of all of it.

She said nothing, and the room was silent for a brief moment until Carlisle spoke again. "Listen, I take the whole doctor-patient confidentiality thing very seriously… but…"

"But he is your son and family comes first."

"I'll give you some leeway, but he needs to be told."

"And he will be. He'll know everything he needs to know. I have no intention of hiding anything from him. It's just a matter of timing. It's complicated, alright?"

"I've guessed that much.

"I'd like to get through this without having my blood pressure skyrocketing. Also, I'd hate to see Anthony get hurt by any of this. Their relationship is so fragile."

"I'm not ruthless. Family comes first."

"Family comes first," Bella agreed, feeling like the world had just tilted and nothing would ever be the same.

.

.

AN: So...Carlisle knows... the baby reveal is fast approaching. I know I've said that for a while, but there are still a few plot details that needs to be resolved before we get there. In the next chapter Alice will arive at the scene.


	33. Chapter 32 Kiddy watch

**Chapter 32 – Kiddy watch**  
.

"Elliott, how many times do I have to tell you? Don't' hit your cousin with that thing!"

"Is my!" the little boy declared stubbornly. "…and I say I can!" he reasoned in his skewered toddler logic and then clutched his plastic toy shovel to his chest.

"Well, I say you can't!" Bella insisted, standing her ground. "You can't just run around hitting people. That's not very nice! What if he gets hurt, or what if he starts hitting you back?"

This caused Elliott to stomp his feet in the snow in a frustrated manner. And then he pouted, sticking his lips out in a sulk…. too cute… He looked like the Michelin Man in his down jacket, matching pants, and snow boots. Adorable yes, but utterly untamable at the moment.

How she had been roped into babysitting duty was beyond Bella, well no it wasn't… she knew exactly how it had happened. 1) she was terrible at shoveling snow and 2) the snow was too heavy for her injured arm and 3) even if her arm had been up to par, Dr. C pretty much had it twisted behind her back… ugh… so kiddy watching it was.

Just then she was pulled from her musings by a sudden smack to her shin. "Ouch! What the bloody he…ck!" she exclaimed as she bent down to pry the shovel from the child. This time she didn't hesitate; the plastic ninja weapon had to go!

Her movement was a little too abrupt though, sending Elliott toppling over, falling to his knees.

"Gosh, I'm sorry kiddo!" she rushed to help him up. "No hitting, no kicking, no biting, okay? If you don't start listen to me, I'll have to…I'll…" she trailed off not sure how to continue. Both Elliott and Anthony were watching with big eyes, waiting for her to crack.

What did one threaten a toddler with? Time out? Naughty corner? Revoked video-game privileges? Maybe making threats was the wrong approach to begin with? Maybe… ah, Santa! She'd definitely heard Emmett pull the Santa card just the other day.

It was worth a shot, she decided. "You, know what, Elliott? If you don't start listen to me, we might have to have a word with Santa about this!"

Elliott blinked, then blinked again. "Santa say no hitting?" he finally said in a questioning, hesitant voice.

"Yep, Santa doesn't like it when you hit your cousin like that."

"Santa is no fun," he decided with a grumpy frown on his face

"Santa says no hitting, no kicking, no biting, but I've heard that there is one thing Santa really, REALLY, likes and absolutely approves of. You know what that is?" She lowered her voice in a sing-song fashion. "A big ol' snow fight with bucket loads of snowballs!"

"Snowbaws?"

"You bet! I have two buckets right here, lets fill them with snowballs!" Bella suggested, fetching the rest of the toys that came from the same sand toy set as the plastic shovels.

"An then we tow?"

"Ah, yes, but it's throw, Elliott, not tow…. throw. First we make snowballs and then we wait right here until your daddy or uncle Eddie walks by. And then, when they least suspect it, we jump out and throw our snowballs at them."

"At daddy?" the boy giggled. "We tow at my daddy?"

"At anyone that walks by," Bella promised. "What do you say Anthony, do you want to come over here and help us make snowballs?" she asked, raising her voice and craning her neck to locate the other little boy. She knew he was close by, she could hear the telltale sound of plastic rubbing plastic and knew it came from the waterproof dungarees he was wearing.

Rosalie had been foreseeing enough to pack a variety of clothes for Elliott and even though they didn't exactly fit well on Anthony's slim frame, it wasn't anything a little duct tape couldn't fix.

"This way Anthony! We're over here!" she coed at the boy, trying to convince him to come closer by offering him one of the colorful plastic buckets. He was hesitant and she didn't blame him. Shovel or no shovel, Elliott could throw a mean punch.

"No Tony," Elliott protested, wedging himself in between Bella and the other little boy, making sure no toys were passed on to his cousin. "Only Ellie and Belly have!" he demanded, sticking his nose in the air.

"Ellie and Belly, eh? You're funny!" Bella mock-laughed, internally cursing the 'Jelly Belly' nickname Emmett had given her. The old coat that Esme had lend her was spacious, but that didn't stop her from feeling self-conscious and paranoid. Before she could mull on it any further though, Elliott made another lunge for the plastic bucket in her hand, causing her to nearly lose her balance.

"Hey now, stop that! Seriously kiddo, we are going to need all the help we can get! Have you seen the size of your dad? He is big. We'll need lots and lots of snowballs to take him down."

At this, the boy looked like he contemplated his options for a moment, then he relented, "Tony make baws?" he asked, reaching his hand out in his cousins direction, as if to wave him over.

Now there was a true Kodak moment, if there ever was one.

Anthony still looked uncertain, but he allowed Bella to take his hand. "Come, help us make some snowballs, Tony! We can throw some snow at your daddy too!"

"Edda?" Anthony asked, inching closer.

"Yes, your daddy," Bella confirmed. "We'll get him too, I promise."

"Ootay," the boy nodded, as if that settled everything.

.

xXxXxXx

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"Wait…You're thigh deep in what?" Seth Clearwater asked, sounding confused.

"SNOW," Bella repeated impatiently. "I'm literally thigh deep in snow right now. The weather has been crazy up here, haven't you heard?" she asked, wedging the phone between her shoulder and cheek so that she could shove her hands back into her mittens.

"No, I hadn't heard that. Maybe because I haven't heard from you in days, partner," Seth complained, drawing the word 'partner' out into several syllables. "Just so you know, your pile of mail has taken on epic proportions and your plats have long since browned and shriveled. Oh and I'm pretty sure your mother is looking for you."

"Great, that would explain why my inboxes are flooded with voicemails and texts messages. In my defense though, I haven't had cell phone reception in over 20 hours."

"So… you've been like snowed in or something? In Seattle, with Cullen and his kid?"

"We're in Forks actually, with his parents and we're still pretty much stuck, not getting anywhere because of the snow."

"Really? With his parents? How's that going? Awkward, I bet?"

"Something like that, yeah," she muttered, kicking at some snow with her boot. "Let's talk about something else… Have you had any luck with that 'hard-drive-device-thingy' I so kindly presented you with the other week?"

"Please what do you take me for? An amateur?"

"My bad! Let's hear it then. I'm all ears," she prompted.

"Well, remember how I explained that each row in the database represents an appointment made at the clinic during a specific period of time?"

"Sure. Didn't you say the time frame spans over the first two quarters of last year? "

"Exactly, and for each row in the database, or appointment, if you so like, there is a social security number and a birth date attached. The encryption on those are slightly more complex, but I'm working on it. It's nothing I can't crack. However, I'm not even sure we need them at this point."

"Why is that?"

"Because each row also comes with a name and a phone number; information that I've already managed to decode."

"That's great, but without the birth date there is no way of telling if the patient is a child or not, right? Or did I miss something?"

"Well, it's pretty straight forward. If the patient is a minor, there is a second name listed along with the patients name, which I would assume belong to a parent or a guardian."

"Okay, yeah, that sounds logical. Can you tell if any of the children are uninsured or if any of them are missing a permanent address or a SSN?"

"I've found no insurance information at all, but there are quite a few blank spaces, quite a few appointments where either a social security number, or an address, or both are missing. There are also several 'Anthonys' and Tonys' listed, by the way, if that is any help."

"What about the nature of each appointment? Any clues there?"

"No, but each row, or appointment, is marked with a set of initials, like perhaps a signature that might belong to an attending physician or nurse practitioner."

"Right, make a list of all of those initials for me and I'll look into it. Actually, send over everything you got and I'll run a cross reference with the rest of the information I have gathered to this point."

"You do realize most people prefers quality time with family and friends over work during the holidays, right?"

"I'm sorry…. am I keeping you from something? Other than your pre-holiday drinking binge, I mean?"

"Ha-ha…. Nah, there will be plenty of time for that. It's the last minute Christmas shopping I'm worried abo-"

"Hey! Stop that!"

"What? Girls are hard to shop for."

"Crap! I said no hitting, no kicking, no biting!"

"Eh, what the hell?"

"Sorry, that wasn't directed at you, Seth. Listen, I have to go. I have two toddlers crawling on top of each other, fighting over God knows what. I need to go pull them apart."

"Ooookay… Go do your thing Swan. I'll call you again in a few hours."

.

xXxXxXx

.

"Elliott William McCarthy Cullen! That is no way to threat your cousin!"

The voice came out of nowhere, but neither Bella nor Elliott needed to turn around to know who had spoken.

"Mommy?"

"Rosalie? Where did you come from?"

"You look like you have your hands full, Isabella. Let me help you with this one!" Rosalie suggested, swiftly lifting her son off the snow covered ground and into her arms in one deft swing.

"Thanks! One slippery, wiggly toddler I can manage, but not a tag team match with two." Bella sighed as she grabbed a hold of Anthony's jacket and pulled him to his feet. He was making whiny, growly noises and there was an angry, red scratch mark on his cheek to match the black eye he was already sporting, but other than that he appeared to be in good fighting spirit, as did his cousin. No harm done this time, thankfully…

"So this is what Edwards spawn looks like?" Rosalie stated, squinting down at boy, who was clinging to Bella's legs. "Alice has been driving me nuts with her nonstop yapping about this boy wonder."

"I don't blame her. Anthony is one handsome little fellow, as I'm sure you can see," Bella laughed, pulling the child's hat off his head, so that Rosalie could get the full scope.

"My, my… Alice wasn't lying. He's like a clone of his dumbass of a father, save for his coloring."

Bella ruffled the boy's hair before she covered it up again. "Don't be so hard on Edward, he's really trying."

"Is he? Really?" Rosalie snorted, raising a well-manicured eyebrow. "Because that's not the impression I've gotten."

"Yes, really. It's a work in progress obviously, because maturity and compassion don't just occur overnight. I can see a difference though. I can tell he is working on it."

"Look at you, rushing to defend him! You still have the hots for him! That's the other thing Alice wouldn't stop yapping about."

Bella made a grimace that was half a frown and half a smile. "You know Alice, she talks way too much. Where is she by the way?" she inquired. The thought of coming face to face with Edward's all-knowing, all seeing sister made her nerves a bit jittery. "I didn't hear a car, but you must have driven here together, right?"

"Nice change of subject there, very subtle," Rosalie smirked, bouncing a squirming Elliott on her hip. "You didn't hear a car because there was no car. We got here on foot."

"Yeah, right… You walked here all the way from Portland? I find that hard to believe!"

"Not all the way, obviously. Let's see… we started off hitching a ride with a big, sturdy plow truck, which proved to be very fortunate because the interstate was bumper-to-bumper with all that ice and snow. Then we switched to a wan in Rochester and finally a regular cab for the last hour of the drive. Or what we thought was going to be the last hour of the drive…We only got as far as the Tyne creak. The old bridge was damaged and there were fallen, uprooted trees left and right. We had to send the cab off and trudge through the snow on foot from there. It took an hour and a half. "

"That's quite a walk. What about the other two? Am I to assume they didn't make it?"

"Ha…who knows? They were right behind me, but I suspect Esme might have gotten to them." Rosalie shrugged, her blonde hair bobbing along with her movements." I heard the calls, but I didn't feel like stopping. I just wanted to get to my baby, " she paused to plant a noisy kiss on the end of Elliott's nose. "…and now, all I wanna do is get inside so that I can start to defrost and maybe get some feelings back in my toes."

"Ah, don't let me keep you from that." Bella said, urging her on with a smile. "Toes are important."

"Yep, my feet won't look good in sandals without them." Rosalie laughed, waving over her shoulder. "We'll talk more later. Oh and Bella, you look good with a little bit of color on your cheeks and some meat on your bones. I guess Eddie is actually doing something right for once, and I'm not talking about his mad takeout ordering skills," she winked, before taking off down the path leading to the house.

.

xXxXxXx

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	34. Chapter 33  The Alice Syndrome

"So yeah, the sooner we get that sample the better it will be for everyone involved."

"Enough talk about DNA and forensics," Alice whined in a very Alice-like fashion. "Let's talk about what happened last night instead! I've heard you've made some progress with my brother. And when I say heard, I mean I've heard it from someone who has heard you going at it, first hand," she wiggled her eyebrows.

"No, no, no! We're not going there!" Bella grumbled, kicking her feet to clear the snow off her boots, "Seriously, Alice, you need to quit your matchmaking schemes!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," her so-called friend smirked, cocking her head innocently to one side.

"Like hell you don't." Bella sighed, and noticed the fact that her breath came out as a frosty cloud. The temperature was dropping again as were the sun – only a few more hours of daylight left.

To say that Bella wasn't entirely pleased with how the day had progressed was an understatement. Nothing had changed. Fifteen man hours worth of shoveling, which translated into five hours of toddler wrangling, and she was still stuck in limbo; still nowhere nearer of solving… well, anything. Edward was still in a foul mood, not receptive to any kind of serious conversation, and there was still snow and downed trees blocking any potential escape route.

Correction, one thing had changed; the number of Cullens in the Cullen lair. Alice, Jasper and Rosalie had joined the holiday "festivities", meaning Edward had his entire family gathered around him now, meaning the fallout, when everything came out in the open, would be brutal. She dreaded it, yet she could not wait for it to be over and done with. Limbo was about as far away from paradise and rainbows and unicorns as one could get.

Bella let out another breath, and another puff of condensed air escaped her lips or nose. "Remind me again how I ended up in a fake engagement with your brother, because I can't for the life of me remember agreeing to that one," she said with pointedly raised eyebrows.

Beside her, Alice was rubbing her pink mitten-covered hands together in an attempt to stay warm, a small smirk still evident on her face. "It's not a scheme, if you do it to protect someone you care about."

"What about that cabin you rented for Edward and Anthony?"

"What about it?"

"It had bunk beds and a fold out sofa. You obviously had no intention of staying there yourself. Your suitcases alone would have taken up half the living space."

"It was the best I could arrange on such a short notice," she shrugged and waved her hand in a dismissive gesture.

"Riiight…and your hastily exit…. You were planning on leaving us high and dry all along, weren't you? I know what you're up to, and you're not as stealthy as you think you are."

"Why are you complaining? You should be thanking me! You got some quality time alone with Edward out of it, didn't you?"

"Have you forgotten we had an active little toddler prancing around our feet? We were hardly alone for more than a few minutes at a time."

"That's not what I heard!" Alice teased with a shrill laugh. "My prediction is still 'right on target'. Dark green or purple are my colors. Remember that when the time comes to choose the dress for your maid of honor."

Bella rolled her eyes, muttering, "Not his again…"

"I'm serious! You have like this new glow about you. I'm rarely wrong about these things."

"Well, you're wrong this time; DEAD WRONG!"

"We'll see about that. Don't forget I have it all in writing. I have the envelopes in my purse, they are still sealed and everything."

"What envelopes?" said a gruff voice from behind, making both Bella and Alice jump a little.

Alice was first to recover. "Oh, hi Edward! I didn't hear you coming."

"Is it my mail you're talking about?" He was standing with his shovelover his shoulder, and his face twisted into a confused expression. "I know I asked you to check it, but I didn't think…. Is it about Anthony? Legal stuff? Don't tell me his poor excuse of a mother has finally decided to make contact?!"

The words were spilling out of his mouth in a rapid stream. He sounded frantic, panicky even, but given his situation, it was a perfectly understandable reaction. Perfectly understandable to Bella at least, Alice on the other hand looked a slightly annoyed.

"Believe it or not, but sometimes we actually talk about things that doesn't concern you at all."

"She's right," Bella deadpanned. "We we're just making small talk."

Edward was looking back and forth between themwith a skeptical expression. "Small talk about sealed envelopes?"

Alice gave an indignant little cough-snort. "You really are paranoid, you know that right? If you must know, Bella and I have a little bet going."

"A bet? What kind of bet?" He asked, leaning his shovel against the nearby wall.

"It's more of a test," Bella hurried to interject, shooting a warning glance at her friend. "Isn't that right Alice?"

"Right! Yeah, she's questioning my clairvoyant abilities. Can you believe that?"

"About a month ago, your sister made a prediction about me that I really don't see happening anytime soon, or at all." Bella threw her hands out in an exasperated 'she's-so-full-of-herself' gesture.

"So, she wrote down a couple of predictions of her own." Alice cut in, rolling her eyes. "She even went as far as sealing the envelopes with a chewing gum. Like that will make any difference… She knows my predictions, I don't know hers, but even with the advantage I'll still win this thing…"

"Alice is not suppose to open them until New Year's Eve. That's the deadline."

"I hope you didn't wager anything you can't afford to lose, Swan," Edward shook his head, snow falling from his knitted beanie.

"It's not that kind of bet." Bella sighed, watching the snowflakes swirl around him. He was beautiful like that, with flushed cheeks and bright eyes. His top layer of clothing was missing and heat radiated from every surface of his body.

"I actually wouldn't mind, if Alice's utopian pipe dream came true. I wouldn't mind one bit," she admitted, feeling herself inch closer to soak up all the warmth she could manage.

She could see his forehead furrow in confusion, but before he could form a question, Emmett came running up the shoveled pathway with two hyper toddlers hot on his heels. Every few meters, he would pretend to stumble and fall into the snow, in the most dramatic ways imaginable, allowing his short-legged pursuers to catch up with him.

"Ugh… Great! I believe that's my cue to run and hide,"Edward said, letting out something between sigh and a wary laugh. "You ARE staying for dinner, right? I mean, with the roads mostly driveable again, I understand if you need to get going, but…. "

Alice, who had been watching their interaction with great interest decided to interject on Bella's behalf. "Don't worry. She definitely needs to eat something before she goes anywhere."

He looked at Bella for confirmation and she nodded slowly.

"I will stay a little while longer and we will talk before I leave."

"Good!" he nodded and then he took off after the kids, sprinting through the snow.

Bella surprised a groan at the sight of his backside in all of its curved and muscular glory.

Beside her Alice was whistling the opening notes to jingle bells, shoulders shaking with mirth.

.

xXxXxXx

.

"Did you manage to reach your mother, Isabella?" Edwards mother asked, passing the pot of steaming potatoes to Bella.

The question threw her for a moment, and Bella blinked. "I'm sorry? What?"

"Earlier, when you went outside with your phone, did you get a hold of her?"

"Ah, no, I'm afraid not," she answered with a frown. The truth was she hadn't even tried to contact Renee yet. She understood why Esme was asking though, as it had been the excuse she had thrown over her shoulder as she had bolted out of the kitchen with the bile raising in her throat. One minute, she had been fine, standing by the sink, helping with rinsing vegetables and getting ingredients from the fridge. The next, nausea had hit her hard and fast. It was the eggs that had done her in. Everything had been fine until Esme had started cracking eggs into that bowl. Apparently eggs in any shape or form were a big, no-no. It had been the same thing with the eggnog that Rosalie had whipped up and served earlier that very afternoon. Puking in the snow behind the garage, with Edward's entire family right around the corner, had been a new low-mark.

No one had commented on it. She wasn't sure whether Carlisle had intervened with some sort of distraction, or if they all just assumed that she too was hungover. Either way, it appeared as though Edward's mother had yet to connect the dots, and for that she was thankful.

Alice was another story though. She had caught Edward's sister giving her suspicious looks and side-way glances on multiple occasions now. Alice was most definitely on to her, and had been ever since they had stepped inside and Bella had been forced to take off her coat.

Was her waistline really that much bigger, compared to two, three, weeks ago? Or was her boobs that gave it away. They were huge and heavy. And tender. And sensitive. Everything was achy and swollen these days. Yikes, even her feet had looked bloated when she had gotten dressed this morning.

"Have you tried the back patio? I've found that you get the best reception if you stand by the far end corner," Carlisle said, looking up from the meat he was carving.

Yeah, that's right Dr. Cullen never made it to his 3 p.m. work shift. Getting the Cullen driveway cleared for driving had taken longer than anyone had anticipated. The Chief of Surgery wasn't the only one stuck in the snow, though. Many vacation plans had been spoiled by the uncooperative weather. Not just because of canceled flights and closed roads, but because with the snow came ice, and with ice came lots of broken bones and fall-related injuries.

The E.R. was filled to capacity, but according to Carlisle, it wasn't necessarily as ill-timed as it may sound. The staff was just as snowed in as the rest of the town, leaving the hospital not nearly as short staffed as it typically would have been this close to a major holiday. Finding someone willing to trade shifts wasn't a problem. Then again, who would say NO when the person asking was the boss man himself?

"What mobile phone carrier do you use? Maybe that is what's wrong," Jasper suggested.

"Nah, it's not the reception," Bella replied, stabbing into a pile of peas with her fork. "While I did not speak with Renee, I did actually manage to get through to Phil. He'll let mom know where I am and I'm fine. I also spoke briefly with my airline. The good news is that Sea-Tac is open again. They expect all flights to be running as normal by lunchtime tomorrow, so it looks like I won't have to drive all the way to Portland after all."

"That's good!"

Bella looked up to see Esme smiling at her, but her smile didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Have you been rebooked on another flight or will you be forced to do the whole standby shuffle?" Rosalie asked, wrinkling her nose in obvious disgust. "I hate airports during peak travel season. Long lines, grouchy attendants, cranky children, and those tedious security checks."

"You forgot the delays and the lost or mishandled baggage," Edward muttered, from his spot across the table. "So, tomorrow, huh?" he commented, tuning to look directly at Bella.

"Yes, I know I've said that I'm leaving a couple of times before, but this time it's definite. I will definitely be flying out of here tomorrow. And to answer your question Rosalie, the airline couldn't really promise me anything. Almost every single flight is already overbooked as it is. That's why I called Phil. He said he'll take care of it."

"Who's Phil?" Rosalie asked.

"My step dad," Bella answered at the same time as Emmett jumped in and said "Big shot politician, duh," to which Alice rolled her eyes and then put her two cents in, "Only one of California's top three powerful people according to Forbes"

"Okay then… So, he'll send you his private jet or something?"

"Or something… Not that he owns a jet or anything, but he has connections. At this point, I don't care how he does it; I just want to get out of this fu-… freaking snow globe." Bella grimaced at her near slip. "No offence! I really do appreciate your hospitality," she hurried to add for Esme's benefit. "I'll gladly come back some other time when the weather is warmer."

"That's alright. You can come stay in one of our guest room whenever you feel like it. Our door is always open for you," Edwards mother reassured her and this time her smile seemed more genuine.

Bella felt her cheeks heat up. Alice had implied that someone had heard… eh…some rather incriminating sounds coming from that very guestroom last night. She sure hoped it was Emmett she was hinting at, and not Edward's parents…. Yikes!

"We are extremely grateful for the help and support you have given Edward this past couple of weeks." Esme continued, not picking up on Bella's obvious discomfort.

"What can I say, Alice's persistence wore me down."

On her right hand side, Jasper was sniggering, no doubt knowing exactly what she was talking about.

"Also Tony is a charmer," she added, craning her neck to find the two boys, who had already been fed and were pottering about in the dining room.

"I've gotten the impression that your boss has been very generous," Carlisle commented." Allowing you to take time off to stay in Seattle longer than you had originally planned for."

"Uhm," Bella hesitated, biting her bottom lip. Touchy subject…. "I think he's probably just relieved to have me out of his hair for a while. I've been stuck with limited desk duty for a couple of months now and it was beginning to drive me nuts."

"Is this because of your head injury? Or your unstable blood pressure?" Edward asked with sudden interest.

"Well yes, mostly because of my health issues, but also because of the internal affair's investigation that I was submitted to."

"Of course," Carlisle nodded. "In order to be reinstated as an active field agent, you'll need to pass a complete physical, as well as psychosocial evaluation. Isn't that how it works?"

"Yes. I was offered to take some time off, to recuperate and to let things settle, but I decided to keep working."

"Why would you do that?" Edward asked.

"To keep my job, to keep my sanity. I work in a male dominated field. You can't afford to show weakness, not if you want to gain your collogues respect; not if you want a long and successful carrier. That's just the way it is…" she shrugged. "Our department is always clogged up with paperwork and administrative tasks, so it all worked out pretty well for everyone involved."

The table settled into silence. Not necessarily an uncomfortable one, but Jasper took upon himself to lighten the mood by launching himself into retelling some pretty twisted observations he had made at the airport.

.

xXxXxXx

.

"Swan, the pool house, now!" Edward commanded, grabbing her by her arm.

Bella didn't much like being bossed around, but Alice had been trying to corner her for what most likely would turn into an interrogation that would put officer Franklin to shame.

"Lead the way," she nodded towards Edward, feeling her chest constrict with panic welling up inside her. This was it, this was the moment of truth.

"Hey, can't you see we're having a conversation here?" Alice pouted.

"No, actually I cant," Edward, replied, crossing his arms over his chest. "I've already called dibs, besides have you forgotten that you promised you'd keep an eye on Anthony for me tonight. Or should I ask mom instead? "

"Don't you dare!" Alice huffed. "We're planning on bathing the little tykes_; _bubbles, toys, the works. It will be a hoot!"

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea…" Edward shook his head.

"Alice, he doesn't like water much."

"That's why I thought it would be an excellent idea to put him in the same tub as his cousin. Elliott loves to bathe."

Edward raised an eyebrow at Bella, as if silently asking her for her opinion.

"I think it's certainly worth a shot."

"Right, but surely it can wait until tomorrow morning…"

"Eww, Edward! He needs a bath, he's all sweaty and sticky and SMELLY!"

"She's right," Bella grimaced. "Besides, don't you think you should stick around for his bedtime routine, Edward? I mean, in case he throws a tantrum or get scared or something. To be honest it's probably better we wait until he's a sleep anyway. Less risk of interruptions."

"When you put it that way…."

"Bella, you can help too!" Alice was clapping her hands together happily. "I'll get mom to boil some water on the stow. The water heating system is still not working properly. Bella, round up the kids! Edward, get the camera! This need to be documented. This will be so much fun!"


	35. Chapter 34  A naughty fish with a nasty

**AN: **This took forever to write… I had almost giving up on ever getting another chapter finished. However, this past week there have been a large number of new readers placing alerts or favoring this story, and I hate to disappoint so I just had to give it one more try… I'll try to get the next one out sooner.

On another, more private, note; my brother is having a baby any day now. Actually they are two days past the due date, so we are walking on eggshells waiting for the phone to ring!

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**Chapter 34 - A naughty fish with a nasty bite **

Leaning against the doorjamb, Edward frowned as he took in the scene before him. Items of clothing and children's toys were strewn all over the bathroom floor, where they mingled with an alarmingly large number of wet puddles.

His sister certainly had her work cut out for her, that's for sure. The wiggling, stark naked, toddler in her arms did not want to go anywhere near the bathtub.

"Anthony, honey, get back here!" Alice ordered in a somewhat strained voice, as the boy leaped out of her grasp for the umpteenth time in just as many minutes.

From the bath, an equally naked Elliott, let out a shrill laugh and clapped his hands together in absolute delight. His enthusiasm and sudden movements sent the water swirling around him, causing him to lose his balance and fall back on his butt. However being the seasoned bather that he was, he merely grimaced and wiped the bubbles off his face, before getting back on his feet again.

In the meanwhile Bella had managed to corner a fleeing Anthony and scope him into her arms, "Calm down, little guy!" she told the whimpering toddler, as she lifted him off the floor. "It's just water. There is nothing to be afraid of," she reasoned, but as per usual, Anthony was not easily convinced.

The boy looked utterly exhausted, as did Bella, Edward noted with a pang of irritation. Her arm should be in a sling. Why wasn't her arm in a sling? Apparently her back was sore too. He could tell; he recognized the signs. His own back was giving him all kinds of agony from the insane amount of snow he had shoveled.

Tired or not, Bella kept bouncing the boy in her arms, trying to calm him down. For a brief moment Edward contemplated stepping in, but he quickly decided against it with a small shake of his head. This was Alice's idea and therefore her responsibility, her headache.

It appeared as though his sister had finally gotten to the conclusion that neither persuasion, nor bribery would do the trick this time…. Well, either that or she had lost her mind completely. It was hard to tell, seeing as her new tactics seemed to entail making animal impressions and humming circus tunes.

Acting like it was a perfectly normal behavior, she tied a towel, cape-style, around her neck, and began fluttering about the room, gathering random objects and shoving them at random places. Or well, they were mostly bath toys which she threw into that bath, claiming they were circus animals on the loose.

Despite his decision not to intervene, Edward found himself doing just that "Alice you are making very little sense even for you," he said, with a shake of his head. "What exactly is it that you're doing?"

"I'm lining up toys for my puppet show," she answered, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "The world's greatest floating circus puppet show. It's going to be absolutely fabulous," she declared and then punctuated her statement by forcing a kiddy sized, shower cap, down over her head.

"Riiiight… absolutely fabulous, " Edward agreed mockingly. At this point even Bella was showing signs of skepticism and as for Anthony… let's just say he hadn't dropped his guard much at all. The poor boy looked like he was one sea lion short of bawling.

"You do realize a lot of kids are absolutely terrified of clowns, right Alice?"

"Pffffffff, do I look like a clown to you?"

"As a matter of fact-" he began, but was silenced by a slap to his head.

"Elliott honey, can you help me with this," Alice suggested, giving her nephew an inflatable frog to hold on to.

The boy agreed readily, already knowing what was coming. Alice being Alice, she always went all in with the silly voices, the gestures and everything.

Mr. Froggy, the ringmaster, was first out and he didn't disappoint. "Hello ladies and gentlemen! The show is about to start; please turn off your mobile phones….And, please, no talking during the performance!" Alice croaked, causing Elliott to roar with laughter.

Anthony, however, was tougher nut to crack. The boy watched with large, unexpressive eyes, as Alice pulled off her whole register of tricks. The only time he actually cracked a hint of a smile, was when Pingu, the high-pitched squeeze penguin, zapped the poor, unsuspecting duckies with a super secret cleaning spell. That was it though. He did not want to learn the super secret cleaning spell and he did not want to help Pingu give the duckies their sponge baths. Nope…. No can do…. Not gonna happen…. Not falling for it… He shook his head vehemently at all and every suggestions put forward.

Every time Bella tried to set Anthony down on the floor, the boy tightened his arms around her neck and clung to her all the more. It didn't escape Edward's notice that Bella was more or less swaying on her feet at this point. The kid was heavy and her air supply was all but cut off. A glance at Bella's pale face and strained expression, confirmed that it was time he put an end to this circus.

"Way to traumatize the kid for life, Alice," he muttered under his breath, as he stomped into the room to retrieve his son. "Here, hand him over!" he urged with barely contained irritation.

"No, wait! I'm not ready to admit defeat just yet," Alice declared stubbornly, as she too reached for the child.

Anthony tensed and grunted unhappily, indicating that neither of these two the options were to his liking.

"Geez, stop it already!" Bella scoffed, throwing Edward a nasty glare. "Crowding him obviously won't help!"

"Fine, don't hand him over," he returned her glare with equal ferocity. "But Bella, sit down before you fall or drop him or something!"

"I would never drop-…"

It wasn't often he managed to catch her off her guard, but this time when Edward moved to grab her shoulders, she didn't react fast enough to dodge him. Bella couldn't do anything, but comply and let herself be steered backwards until she felt the back of her legs hit something behind her.

There was a startled yelp and then a sound that Edward deciphered as a sigh of relief as she sank down to sit on the tiled edge of the bathtub. The sounds coming from Anthony, however, were a little more on the hysteric side. His son clearly wasn't happy about the fact that he was now closer to the bath water than he had been all evening.

No longer interested in clinging to stay off the floor, Anthony took to squirming like a trapped animal instead. It seemed as though the little guy couldn't get away from the bath fast enough. However, before he could pull away from the arms that held him, his cousin Elliott decided to steal the moment by showing off his seriously awesome water-splashing-skills.

Suddenly, there was a whole lot of shrieking and crying and yelling going on and Edward found himself right in the line of fire… er… water. Most of it ended up in his face and on the front of his shirt. The little guy had an impeccable aim and the amount of water he could set in motion with his chubby, little hands was truly impressive.

His stunt was not appreciated by everyone in the room obviously, hence the deafening noise level. The chaos went on for another minute or two until Alice finally managed pin down a very slippery and quite hostile Elliott and pull him to the far end of the bathtub.

"What do we have here? - a naughty little fish with a nasty bite, " she jested, poking the boy playfully in the side making him squirm.

"Uh-uh! I'm a shark!," came the cheeky reply.

"That explains the biting!" Alice mused, playfully tickling him into a fit of giggles. "I bet I could make a really tasty fish burger out of this one!"

While Alice kept Elliott occupied, Edward was left with the task of getting Anthony calmed down and wrapped up in a towel. The boy was visibly trembling, but Edward wasn't sure whether it was because he was scared, or cold or both.

"Oh well, this was fun," Bella joked, handing Edwards another towel.

"Fun? I told you this was a bad idea – but did you listen to me? NO." Edward grumbled, patting the worst off the water out of his hair. "How is it that I'm always the one getting wet or contaminated? When it's not water, it's food or snot or some other smelly body fluid."

"News flash; kids are unpredictable and messy," Bella informed him ever so kindly, "Think of it as play therapy."

"Play therapy? Really? Are you a kiddy psychologist now?"

"No, of course not, but seriously Edward," Bella nudged him with her elbow and gestured towards the bath. "I for one, still think this could work."

"Sure, and pigs will fly some day soon."

"I mean it Edward," she nudged him again. "Look at him."

"I am looking. What's your point?" he asked, following her gaze. Bella was watching Anthony who in turn was watching Alice play some tickle-the-shark-game with Elliott. Sure the boy was much calmer now than before, but other than that, he didn't quite get what he was suppose to see. He didn't get what the big deal was… Well, until he saw two little feet, propped up on their tippy toes, that is… That's when he realized what Bella was talking about.

Anthony's cheek was pressed against the side of the bathtub, as he strained his entire body to peer over the edge. He was still sniveling every so often, but it came across more longingly than anything else.

"Let's give this one more try," Bella suggested, reaching out to ruffle the boy's hair. "You want a boat to play with, Tony?" she inquired in a sing-song, almost motherly, kind of voice. "Here, you can have the green one," she offered, lowering her hand into the water to push one of the floating bath toys closer towards the boy.

There were a few seconds of hesitation, before Anthony dipped his fingers into the water touching the plastic tugboat. "Is afloat?" he asked, turning to his father for confirmation.

"Yeah, that's right buddy! It's a boat and it floats."

"Can you steer it over here," Bella coaxed. "We wouldn't want the sharks to take it, now would we?"

The boy hesitated again, wavering slightly, before his fingers gripped the plastic toy again.

When Rosalie appeared in the doorway, roughly ten minutes later, Anthony was hanging over the edge on the bathtub, elbow deep into the water, playing referee in a boat race (or was it a shark race?) between his aunt and his cousin.

"Aww, look at that!" Rosalie exclaimed. "My baby is playing nice and making friends."

"Depends on how you define 'nice'," Edward replied, stepping aside to allow his sister-in-law to enter the room "There is actually more water on the floor than there is in the bathtub and I believe Allie has more bite and claw marks than your typical zookeeper."

"Ah, but that sounds more like Jaspers doing, if you ask me."

"Nice one, Rose!" Edward commented, with an exaggerated head shake. "Did you forget that there are kiddies in the room!"

"It's never too early to encourage good grooming habits in your children," Rosalie shot back, in her trademark smug voice. "Manicure is not just a 'girl thing'. Speaking of grooming, you look like a wet, sloppy mess. Did you get peed on again, Edward?"

"Very funny!" Edward scowled and flicked her off.

"Esme sent me up with another bucket of hot water," Rosalie said ignoring his glare. "This is the final one, though. What do you say Al? Should we finish this off with one last fanfare and see how if goes?"

While it certainly sounded like a perfectly innocent suggestion, Edward caught a somewhat strange exchange of glances between Alice and Rosalie. He chalked it up to them having an inside joke or something, one that Bella wasn't in on, because her confusion was plain to see

Before he could ask about it though, the moment had passed and Alice was nodding her head in agreement. "Bring it on! As much as I'd love for this to go on indefinitely, I think I'm beginning to turn into a prune."

Rosalie lifted the bucket to shoulder height and crossed the small bathroom in two steps.

"Wait! It's not too hot is it?" Alice interrupted her just as she reached the bathtub.

"Of course not! What do you take me for?" Rosalie huffed in irritation. "Just keep the boys at bay, alright!"

"Maybe I should…" Bella, started to get up, but was knocked back down by Rosalie, who very uncharacteristically lost her trademark queen-like composure and started slipping on the wet floor.

What happened next seemed to unfold in slow motion. Loosing her balance, Rosalie stumbled and fell forward, catching herself with her hands at the very last moment before her knees hit the cold hard tiles of the floor. Of course in order to save herself, she had to let go of the bucket of water, which in turn fell straight into Bella's lap, who not to surprisingly failed to get a firm grip on it, and therefor ended up drenched from chest to mid-thighs in water.

Edward knew he shouldn't laugh, but Rosalie looked more than a little ridiculous sprawled out on the floor with her ass in the air… Also, the shocked look on Bella's face when the water hit had been priceless!

Then there was the wet T-shirt aspect of the whole thing; amusing and awe inspiring in its own right. Not that she was bra-less or wearing a sheer white t-shirt or anything remotely provocative like that, but the clothes she did wear, now clung to her chest and torso like a second skin. All of those new voluptuous curves that he had only been allowed to see small, small, glimpses of, were now promptly and unceremoniously put on full, in-your-face, display.

Bella was on her feet in an instance, one hand pulling at the wet fabric like it was burning her skin or something, the other scrambling for a towel.

Edward's laugh died into a worried frown as multiple questions flooded his confused, perplexed mind; had Rosalie misjudged the water temperature? Why was Bella hunching her back? Had she been hurt? …and what the effing heck was that?!

Evenslouched over, it was impossible to miss that there were more curves to her body than what was normal; convex curves, something bulging where no bulge of that size should be. There was a roundness to her stomach area, too pronounced to be mistaken for a full belly, or a roll of fat or a fabric lump.

What. The. Hell!

He stared and he blinked but it didn't change; nothing changed.

Realization hit like a punch to the gut. Images and words from the past four weeks —particularly images from their intimate moments— raced through his mind.

All those times he'd touched her, fondled her, squeezed her… How could he have missed something as major as this? Admittedly, her magically growing tits had stolen most of his attention, but still….Argh! Not once had he even thought to question that growth spurt…. or the weight gain, or the mood swings… the hasty bathroom trips, the peculiar eating habits…

CRAP!

This was not happening. This was not happening. This was- It didn't matter how many times he tried to chant it, he had to face the facts. It was happening.

"What the hell!" he repeated his earlier thought out loud, sounding just as shocked as he was.

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**An2: I don't want to be annoying, but this story officially has more alerts than reviews. And while it's absolutely amazing to know that people want to read my story, please review! Even a smiley face review would make my day! :) **


	36. Chapter 35 -harsh truths

AN: WOW, the response to last chapter was overwhelming. Thank you so much!  
I've decided to split the next chapter in smaller parts in order to get it out to you faster. So if this seems short, bear with me. There is more and I hope to be able to post it shortly.  
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oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-

This wasn't happening, couldn't be happening…Not like this…It wasn't supposed to happen like this! Not now, not here, not happening, not happening… How did this happen?

So many thoughts swam through Bella's mind as she struggled in vain to cover herself up with the wash cloth-sized towel.

"Here," someone said, shoving a cardigan into her hands.

She glanced up; surprised to see that it was Rosalie that was talking to her. More words were spoken, but she couldn't focus on them. She felt faint. The room became a blur, everything was blurry; except Edward. She saw nothing but his face. His features would forever be burned into her memory and she would never forget the expression on his face as he realized exactly WHAT it was he was seeing.

His jaw went from hanging agape to being tightly clenched in a matter of seconds. If that wasn't telling enough, his green eyes blazed over with a cold anger.

Would he hate her for this? Would he try and understand? Would it be... over?

She opened her mouth to say something, but couldn't find the words. She had practiced what she was going to say, how she was going to break the news to him, but now her mind was drawing a blank. She couldn't think, she couldn't breathe. A hefty amount of fear coiled in her gut. She was blowing this, she just knew it. She needed to leave, to go… anywhere... anywhere but there where she was at the moment. Her feet were already moving towards the door.

Before she could get anywhere though, Edward grabbed her arm and pulled her back roughly. "We need to talk!"

"No," she shook her head almost frantically, her eyes darting around wildly as the rest of the room slowly came back into focus. "Can't do this! Not here…" There were just too many sets of eyes staring back at her.

"Not here," Edward agreed in a clipped voice she didn't quite recognize. He said something to his sister over his shoulder, something Bella couldn't decipher in her frazzled state of mind, but she got the gist of it. Alice was to look after Anthony for however long it was needed. Without letting go of her arm Edward stepped in front of her, twisting so that Bella had no choice but to follow him. And with that they were out the door.

She was vaguely aware of being dragged through the hallway and down the stairs. He tugged her forward and she followed blindly, her bare feet padding against the floor. He said nothing. He didn't even look at her. His pace was rapid and she was stumbling to keep up. She banged her knee on a small table at one point, it rattled against the wall, but neither of them took notice of it.

Somewhere, a TV was on, the volume blaring, but other than that the house seemed strangely deserted. They went unnoticed all the way down the stairs and the first floor landing. However, when they passed the kitchen, Esme's head appeared in the doorway. She looked surprised, but delighted to see them. In true, motherly fashion, she offered them both some snacks and hot beverages.

It was instantly apparent, to Bella at least, that Edward wasn't in the right mind frame to exchange pleasantries with his mother. He glared at her and grunted something unintelligible, before turning his back stalking off towards the front door.

Poor Esme was seemingly oblivious to the hostile keep-the-fuck-away vibes her son was projecting. Bella tried a polite smile, but couldn't quite hold it together for more than a few seconds before it turned into a pained grimace.

"Not hungry? Oh well, I'll save some for you for later," Edward's mother chirped as if nothing was out of the ordinary. "Edward, honey, if you're heading outside you'll be needing more clothes … and light. It's pitch dark out there. Carlisle where did that flashlight go?" she called over her shoulder.

Thankfully, Dr. Cullen was more perceptive than his wife. "Bath time over already?," he asked, appearing in the doorway with a plate of sandwiches in his hand. It took him all about three seconds to get a grasp of the situation. His eyebrows shot upwards, but he masked it expertly, quickly turning towards his wife, "Es, I think you left the milk on the counter."

"I did not," she protested.

"Well, someone did," he declared, steering his wife back towards the kitchen. "I can see it from here, and also how long are those buns supposed to bake in the oven? They are looking kind of dark if you ask me."

"There is nothing wrong with those buns," Esme huffed, narrowing her eyes "Are you trying to get rid of me? What's going on?"

"Of course not dear. Nothing's going on. You go save those buns and I'll try and locate the flashlight."

"Fine!" she agreed reluctantly."…but don't let them out without scarves and gloves and hats," she instructed, as she disappeared out of view.

"You heard you mother. Gear up!" Carlisle said loudly, then added in a much lower tone of voice, "Are you heading for the pool house?"

"Yes," Edward confirmed with a sharp glare at Bella. "Someone has some explaining to do!"

"I see, "Edward's father nodded and Bella thought she saw a sympathetic expression on his face, but it quickly

disappeared. "I'll make sure you have privacy and that no one bothers you," Carlisle offered, throwing a quick glance over his shoulder. "But Edward you should…"

"No!" Edward interrupted, clearly at the end of his patience. "I don't want to hear what I should or should not do!" he all but barked.

"Edward," Carlisle held his hands up, palms out. "I just thought I should point out that Isabella is barefoot. I know you're just going next doors, but shoes are a must when there are inches of snow on the ground."

Edwards eyes shot down to the floor, as did Bella's and sure enough, there they were; a pair of bare feet.

While she scurried to rectify her blunder, Carlisle tried, unsuccessfully, to get his son into a coat. Edward was beyond fed up at that point and didn't bother hiding it. Wringing his hands through his hair, he told his father to take both the coat and his good advice and shove them somewhere painful and wholly inappropriate.

"Keep your temper in check, son." Carlisle warned in a dangerously calm voice.

The look Edward sent his father was venomous and Bella felt the need to defuse the tension before one of them said something they couldn't take back. For all of her mistakes, Bella knew she didn't want to stir up a family feud; this was between her and Edward.

"It's understandable that you're upset." She moved to stand in his line of sight. "Lashing out will not make things right and especially not lashing out at the people who do not deserve it."

"You," he spat, pointing a finger at her, "Keep your thoughts to yourself, if you know what's best for you!" Without saying another word he opened the front door and let the harsh, cold wind do the talking for him.

And so it was that Bella found herself trudging through the snow at the side of the house, feeling quite a bit underdressed, with only Rosalie's knitted wool cardigan and Alice's untied boots, to protecting her against the snow.


	37. Chapter 36 -harsh truths part II

Edward. Was. Mad. He was spitting mad.

The blue glow from the underwater lights in the pool behind him did little to dispel the sense of impending doom. Neither did the dark, snow cowered landscape just barely visible through the gigantic panorama window.

The whole pool house could only be described as an architectural design marvel. Esme had certainly outdone herself when designing this most recent extension to the main building. The west slope of the ceiling and the two walls facing the surrounding forest were covered in massive panes of glass. The remaining walls were lined with dark, rough wood and the floor was tiled with beautiful stone tiles. Of course, between the faulty under-floor heating system and all the glass and stone components, the temperature was bordering on intolerable.

Bella pulled the cardigan closer to her frame in an attempt to keep warm. She knew she was shaking, but she tried with all her might to stay as calm as she possibly could.

"Now, explain yourself!" Edward demanded, his posture was stiff and rigid and his knuckles were white from clenching his fists. He was fuming, quite literally fuming. His breath came out in white puffs that dissolved in the air in front of him.

Biting her lip, she raised her eyes to his face. "I'm sorry you had to find out this way," she said. It seemed like the easiest place to start.

"What?" he spat harshly at her "Find out what Isabella? You're going to have to spell this out for me, because I'm at loss here. I can't wrap my brain around any of this."

"I'm sorry," she repeated, bracing herself for the onslaught she knew was coming. "What do you want me to say, Edward? Your little swimmers have gone done it again. I'm PREGNANT. Preggers. Bun in the Oven. Knoc-…."

"DON'T!" he growled, giving her a withering glare. "Don't — patronize me!"

"That's not wha-…"

"How long have you known?" he interrupted her again, but with a question this time.

"A while…" she paused for a second, deciding on how much to tell him. "I went in for a routine physical exam, something that was required of me in order to get my suspension lifted. They drew some blood and BAM I was told I was pregnant. That's the FBI for you. No sugar coating, no warning."

"How long?" he repeated flatly.

"I just entered my 19th week."

"Your 19th week," he repeated calmly, too calmly, dangerously calm. Bella could see the vein at the back of his jaw starting to twitch, never a good sign. "That's almost five months!" he exploded. He was in her face in a split second, his hands slamming into the wall behind her. "You're telling me you've known for FIVE freaking MONTHS? "

"No!" She kept her face still, forcing her muscles to clench, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of seeing her flinch. "That's not how it was. That's what I was trying to tell you. No peeing on sticks for me. No counting days, fretting over being late... I'm sure there were plenty of signs, but I was over two months along before I found out."

"But you knew when Alice called you. You knew when you came up to Chicago, when you waltzed into my life like some sort of savior?!" He had his back to her now and she could see his clenched fists as he tried to get himself under control.

"I knew then, yes," she nodded despite knowing that he couldn't see her. "Though, quite frankly I refuse to take all the blame for our lack of communication up to that point. We left things a mess."

Her last remark had him turning to look at her with an oddly sharp gleam to his eyes. "You knew in the cabin when you pulled your track pants down and urged me fuck you senseless over the kitchen counter! You knew last night, when you pushed me down on your bed and straddled me like a seasoned hooker."

This time she couldn't hold back the flinch. "This is exactly why I didn't tell you. I knew you wouldn't be able to handle this! Your maturity level is appallingly low."

Edward lifted an eyebrow and Bella kicked herself internally, she was in no position to give him attitude. They both knew that and the hypocrisy of what she had just said was not lost on Edward.

"You're UNBELIEVABLE!" He let out a humorless laughter, shaking his head. "How am I the immature one, when you're the one that's been flat out lying for months? How could you do this to me, to us? Don't you have a soul? A conscience? A brain? A heart?"

"Edward, please," she was full on shaking now, taken aback by his harsh words and the cold, accusing tone of his voice. The dampness of her clothes, which she had all but forgotten about, weren't helping matters, either. "I had my reasons. Anthony…."

"Don't go there! I don't bring Anthony into this. I don't want to hear it. I…I cannot believe you would lie about something like this. I thought we were making progress; that we were reconnecting, as friends at the very least. I can't trust a word you're saying. How do I even know that that thing you're growing is really mine?"

"Don't call it a THING or tell me it's just a bunch of cells." Slowly, she unbuttoned the cardigan, Rosalie's cardigan, the only dry piece of clothing she was wearing. She sucked in a quick breath as the cold air assaulted her. It couldn't be helped, he needed to see. "It's a baby, a tiny life, living, moving, inside of me. And yes it's yours! There hasn't been anyone else."

She heard him suck in a breath as his gaze dropped to where her arms were wrapped protectively around her abdomen.

That's right! Take a good look, she urged him silently in her mind.

She began peeling the fabric away from where it had plastered itself, but Edward stopped her by cursing loudly and averting his eyes.

"Don't bother! You'll get cold," he muttered, turning his back to her.

"I already am," she sighed. "Chilled to the bone."

"Then maybe you should go back into the house," he suggested, and moved to stand by the window.

She could hear the finality in his voice and she could tell that he was purposely avoiding looking at her. This wasn't working. How were they supposed to solve anything, when he wouldn't even look at her?

"Edward," his name came out sounding like a plea. "I... Please, don't push me away or hide behind your walls. Not this time. We need to talk about this. Don't you want to be a part of this with me? Don't you want us to be together?"

"You lost the right to tell me what to do or how to react when you lied to me," he stated, turning so that he was facing the window instead of the rest of the room. "I don't see us having a future together when I can't even stand being in the same room as you. If you don't leave, I will."

"But..." she said.

"But what?" he asked. "What else is there to say? You really messed up this time. There is no magic fix-all cure or mutual trust wand to wave around this time."

Bella bit her lip, feeling her throat choke up. She couldn't just leave. She couldn't let this one shot at explaining herself slip away. There had to be something she could say to hold his interest, something to shake him up, something like-…. "I love you," she blurted out before losing courage.

"Don't drag love into this," he snapped with an exasperated sigh, leaning his forehead against the window pane. "It's irrelevant. In fact you might as well stop talking all together because everything coming from you is irrelevant to me now."

Tears blurred her vision, stung her eyes. She fought them. She would not cry. "Love is the one thing that makes the easiest decision easy and the hardest decision harder. I know I messed up, I know I should have told you sooner… are you ever going to forgive me?"

She stared at his back, waiting for a response. The snow on the glass ceiling made for a very surreal, almost ghost-like atmosphere with distorted shadows and shapes. She waited some more. He said nothing.

"I'll stand here all night, if that's what it takes," she told him, silently urging him to turn around.

He didn't. Instead he kept staring at some faraway point in the distance.

"In those clothes? Hardly… You won't last more than an hour in this cold," he remarked with biting sarcasm. "Is this really worth getting sick over."

"That's my decision and why do you care? I'm irrelevant, remember? You just told me so."

He took a deep breath; she watched his shoulders rise and fall with it.

"Go back to the house, Isabella."

"No!"

"Then I'll go."

"Don't!" she snapped, almost... barked, as she watched him straighten his back. She knew she had to say something – anything to make him stay just a little bit longer – but she didn't know what. It was now or never time. "Don't… Don't turn around. I'm… um… I'm undressing," she improvised, hardly caring what she said as long as it meant Edward wouldn't leave her.

"What?" he sounded confused, and rightfully so.

"You were right about these clothes. They are no use to me all wet. They'll make me sick. I'm getting rid of them right now. In fact I'm standing naked behind you this very moment."

"No, you're not. I can see your reflection in the window."

Guess someone was paying her more attention than he let on. Bella deliberated for a split second, then shrugged out of Rosalie's cardigan and dropped it to the ground. There was a clinking sound when its metal buttons hit the stone-tiled floor. "Fine, you caught me, I'm only partly naked."

Wiggling her hips, she struggled to push her jeans down past her pasty white, and admittedly slightly out of shape thighs. The image of those two jiggly things, distorted through the reflection of the glass, was apparently enough of a blinding sight to shut him up, because he said nothing… did nothing…

At least he wasn't talking about leaving anymore….

Stepping out of the denim pile, Bella made a short process of pulling her shirt and sweater over her head. The cold was brutal, but she pushed on. Pushing for a reaction she knew would come. And it did… She was down to a wet, practically see through, T-shirt and her underwear when he whipped around and glared at her accusingly.

"Christ! You're like a wet blanket I can't seem to shake. And not the warm, exciting type. The cold, shitty kind."

"So, we're down to insults now?" She crossed her arms over her torso, trying to capture some of the escaping warmth. "What's next? Are you going to call me a fat slut and take digs at my moral character?"

"The ease with which you threw your clothes off speaks for itself."

He had her there, she had to admit. She really had not thought this through. How had she ever thought this would be a good idea? Before she had a chance to defend herself he continued, "What was it that you wanted me to see so badly, Bella? I'm looking now."

Bella groaned inwardly. Yep, this was definitely a bad idea. She didn't have to look at his face to know his large green eyes were in fact studying her meticulously.

"I can tell what you're not looking at. You're not looking at a beer belly or the consequences of eating too much butter," she told him, her voice betraying her as it wobbled slightly. "This is what 19 weeks pregnant looks like." She pushed her chin out and met his gaze. "Feel free to get your fat jokes out now. I'm sure your itching to comment on my expanding pant size/rear/boobs, yada, yada… Just hurry the f*ck up and get on with it already, because it really is freaking cold in here!"

"You should have thought of that before you decided to strip, "he replied with a snort. "I'm going to have to disappoint you. I'm not too good at crafting witty insults on the spot."

"Like that's ever stopped you before," she muttered under her breath before adding a more audible, "Good, now moving on... Surely somewhere in this godforsaken place there has to be a bathrobe or a towel or something…"

"… or something," he agreed after a brief moment of hesitation. He seemed to have made some sort of decision within himself because it appeared as though his mood had lifted, at least for the moment.

"If you want something to warm yourself with, I suggest you move yourself and that expanding rear of yours towards that brown bamboo wicker thingy in the corner." He gestured to a point over Bella's shoulder, but gave no further explanation as to what he was talking about.

"The room divider?" Bella asked, already moving across the floor… sideways…tugging at the hem of her T-shirt in a vain attempt to keep at least some of her near naked assets under wraps.

"Spare me the modesty act. I couldn't care less about your ass right now."

"Then why are you staring at it?"

"I'm doing no such thing," he said with a shake of his head, but the slight tense in his jaw had already told her she was right. He had been looking, was still looking, and couldn't seem to keep his eyes away. She knew he was probably furious with himself over it.

Fearing his mood would shift again, Bella hurried her steps. Finally reaching the bamboo screen, she slid behind it with a relieved sigh. The sigh, however, quickly became a surprised gasp. Instead of the towels she had expected to find, she found herself face to face with what looked to be a modern, cast iron stove, situated on a flat slab of granite.

"Please tell me this is real and fully functioning!"

"It's real, it's a gas-log fireplace." The closeness of his voice had her jumping in surprise. Edward had made no noise as he moved, but suddenly he was standing right there behind her. "The ignition is electric. You turn it on like this," he demonstrated. "And it will heat up this place in ten, fifteen, minutes tops."

"You couldn't have turned it on sooner?!" Bella grumbled, watching the logs catch fire.

"And missed out on all the fun?" he said with a dry, emotionless chuckle. "In all honesty, I forgot this thing was even here until just a few moments ago."

"Fair enough, I guess. I'm still going to need a towel or something, though," she stated with carefully concealed frustration. "I feel woefully underdressed and pneumonia is no laughing matter." As she spoke her eyes landed on the pile of clothes on the floor.

Rosalie's wool cardigan! It must still be mostly dry. Why didn't she think of that sooner?

She took a few steps towards it, but was stopped by a firm hand grabbing her elbow, "Where do you think you're going?" Edward asked and tightened his hold, forcing her to come to an immediate standstill. "I'm calling the shots here and this conversation isn't over until I say it is."

She blinked twice before scowling and ripping her arm, thankfully her uninjured one, out of his grip. "Funny, two minutes ago you told me there was nothing left to say; that I had messed up beyond any words." This time there was no concealing her frustration.

"Damn you, Isabella!" he cursed loudly, "I've had it with your secrets, your lies and your…your manipulating acts. I'm tired of your games. No more disappearing when things get difficult. No more hiding behind baggy clothes, no more blindfolds and no more no-touching-rules."

The first few words were spoken with harsh undertones, but the last ones came out sounding almost dejected. His anger had ebbed out, only to be replaced with a weariness that probably meant he truly was at the end of what he could take. Bella scanned his face carefully, looking for hints, anything that might help her understand what was going on, but his expression revealed no more of his thoughts than it ever had.

Unless…

His eyes kept darting down her body and then flicking back to her face and something in his stance, made her realize she had perhaps been wrong about her previous assumption.

"You really weren't staring at my ass, where you?" she asked calmly. It was more of a statement than a question. "It's the bump that has you in a tizz."

"Don't start with me," he warned her irritably.

"You don't want to look, but you can't keep your eyes away. Or your hands. I bet your fingers are itching to touch this… this 'thing' I'm growing?" she said making air quotes with her fingers. "Is that it, Edward? You want to touch my belly?" '

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_**AN: This was part II of the whole baby reveal/confrontation. But it's not over yet stay tuned for part III….**_


	38. Chapter 37-harsh truths part III

**Chapter 37-harsh truths part III  
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_**_  
__"You don't want to look, but you can't keep your eyes away. Or your hands. I bet your fingers are itching to touch this… this 'thing' I'm growing?" she said making air quotes with her fingers. "Is that it, Edward? You want to touch my belly?"_

"Don't bloody think so," he responded quickly…too quickly.

"No?" She raised her eyebrow at him and he scowled in return.

"No, you heard me."

"You sure?"she asked, taking a step toward him provocatively.

He cringed, but didn't back away; instead his hands came up to rest on the wall on either side of her head. "I'd only end up getting attached, which would be incredible stupid at this point. I bet that's exactly what you're hoping for, though; emotional attachment."

She started to protest, but he was quick to shush her, placing a finger over her lips. "Don't forget that if this baby is in fact mine, I'll always have parental rights to it. This could backfire on you so easily."

"I have no intentions of denying you anything," she told him calmly, after swatting his hand away from her face in one fluid, sweeping motion. Then she changed her mind and grabbed it again, unceremoniously placing on top of the small, but pronounced bump that was stretching out the front of her T-shirt.

She heard him suck in a sharp breath, though he said nothing. For the longest of times neither of them did anything, but look at his hand, his open palmed and motionless hand. Then it began moving, fingers slowly finding the hem of her T-shirt, and pulling it up.

"This is new," he rasped, his voice wavering as he traced the dark, horizontal line that started just below her navel.

"Hormones," she muttered, both as an explanation to the hyperpigmentation darkening her skin, but also to the way her stomach clenched under his fingers.

If the intimacy of his touch startled her, it was nothing compared to how she reacted to the flicking twinge that followed. Barely perceptible movement, but movements none the less; movements that weren't her own. It would take a while to get used to THAT. She felt something again, stronger this time and couldn't help but gasp.

Edward's hand withdrew as if he had been burned. "Are you in pain or something?"

"No." Frowning slightly, she straightened her back. "I think… I think the just baby moved."

A dark shadow flashed across his eyes. "Really?"

She nodded. "It could be gas, because well, I get that a lot, but there was a definite twinge, like a fluttery jab tha-… Ah! There it is again!" she felt herself smiling despite her best efforts to remain cool and collected. "Did you feel it?"

Edward rubbed his hands across her lower stomach. "No, he frowned. You're not jerking me around here are you? This is for real?"  
"It's as real as it gets. I haven't felt any actual kicks yet, just twist and turns."

His forehead creased in a frown. "Is that normal? Shouldn't there be actual kicks by now? I'm pretty sure Elliott was kicking up a storm at around four months."

"I don't know what the norm is. I just know every pregnancy is different."

"What do you mean you don't know? You haven't asked? When was the last time you saw your doctor or obstetrician or whatever?"

"My regular doctor is in New York, Edward," she reminded him pointedly and then felt guilty for it when she noticed the grim expression on his face.

"So you haven't actually done any checkups or ultrasounds or what nots in months?"

"I've been getting my blood pressure checked up regularly and there is a nurse from my Dr's office that calls every other week or so to check on me. I have this healthy diet plan that I'm suppose to follow, because apart from my blood pressure, the biggest health concern has been my 'too little, too slow' weight gain… I doubt that is really a concern anymore, though" she grimaced, squeezing a handful of excess flab on the side of her stomach.

Edward's seemed to be deep in thought as he was staring at a fixed point on the wall. "All those trips to the bathroom," he murmured. "It's so obvious, so clear now that I can't believe I didn't put it together till just now."

"They say morning sickness is a sign of a healthy pregnancy and baby. If that's true then this baby is doing A-okay."

"They say? Who are 'they'? Some advice columnist glossy magazine or a bunch of strangers on an internet message board? I'll believe it when I hear it from an actual doctor."

"If it makes you feel any better, I've actually done an ultrasound already; a really, really early one. You couldn't see anything apart from the gestational sac, the yolk sac, and a little blob with a tiny pulsating dot in the middle."

"A blob with a dot?"

"The dot being the heart. It definitely didn't look like a baby or anything human at all, but the ultrasound tech assured me that there was nothing abnormal on that scan."

"Your blood pressure has been all over the place, though." Edward's forehead was still deeply furrowed. "Christ, the crash yesterday! Did you even have your seatbelt on? I should have brought you to the hospital. You should been checked out properly!" He was working himself up to a fury again, his face reddening, his eyes clouding with conflicting emotions, none of them particularly pleasant by the look of things.

"Jebus, calm down, Edward," she told him, catching one of his flailing arms, squeezing it reassuringly. "I'm fine. I was checked out by a doctor, your father, remember?!"

"He's a surgeon, this is hardly one of his specialties."

"If your father thought this pregnancy was in jeopardy or that the baby was in distress in any way, I'd be in hospital faster than you can say 'call 911'. You know I'm right."

He racked his hand through his hand a few times in frustration. "Yeah, you're right," he finally agreed, his face solemn.

"Look, it's true that I'm overdue for another ultrasound. I'll make arrangements to have one done the minute get back home again. I actually had one scheduled a few weeks ago and I'm not saying this to make you feel shitty or anything like that, but I ended up postponing it so that I could be there for you when the result of Anthony's paternity test came back. Not wanting to miss out on another Dr.'s appointment is one of the main reason why I've been pushing to get back to NY ASAP."

She wasn't sure whether or not it was it was wise to bring up Anthony's name again, or her impending departure, for that matter, but it appeared as though her words barely registered with Edward, because apparently another realization had just dawned on him.

"WAIT, wait, wait, wait… My father KNOWS about the baby? You told HIM, but not ME?"

Crap! No matter what she said or how she phrased it, she still ended up hurting him, and in turn, herself. "I didn't tell him until I absolutely had to, Edward. I'm sorry he found out before you did."

"What about the others? Alice knows for sure… and Rosalie… How could you tell Rosalie before you told me?"

Suddenly, his hands were on her hips. She wasn't sure when it had gotten there, but she became acutely aware of it when his fingers dug deeply into her flesh. He wasn't just aggravated; he was shocked, hurt, and above all, not likely to move past this betrayal anytime soon.

"You know what's bugging me the most about this whole thing?"

"The lies I've told?" she braved a guess, but regretted it as soon as she felt him tug her towards him. It was a slow, almost gentle movement, but she could feel the steely purpose underpinning it.

"Tell me the truth, Bella. Were you ever going to tell me?" he asked, his scowl deepening with every word he spoke.

"I was… of curse I was! And for the record, I never told Rosalie… or Alice. I don't know how they know, they just do."

"I don't think you're telling the truth. If I hadn't been in that bathroom tonight, if I hadn't seen the evidence with my own eyes, you would have NEVER told me!"

"Edward you don't understand—"

"You're damn right. I don't understand," he declared, rage quietly seething under his deceptively calm tone. As he spoke he pushed the fabric of her T-shirt up and out of the way again, this time not stopping until her entire stomach was exposed. "I don't understand how you could keep a pregnancy from me for five months!" he told her hotly, his fingers tightening possessively over the curvature of her stomach.

"Ten weeks," she corrected, despite knowing it would probably only further anger him. "And I would have told you eventually. I just couldn't work out how and when. Truthfully, if Alice hadn't called me and convinced me to come up to Chicago, then yes, I probably would have waited until after the birth. Either way, this certainly wasn't the way I wanted you to find out," she explained softly, begging for him to understand.

"But Alice did call you and we were cooped up in a cabin for several weeks alone together. You had all the time in the world to tell me," Edward said his voice softer now, but still laced with anger. "What stopped you?"

Bella bit her lip again, wanting to keep her emotions in. "You were still bonding with Anthony. I didn't want to mess that up. And also, I wasn't sure where this thing between us was going to lead. The sex was mind-blowing, sure, but I got the impression that you didn't want and couldn't handle anything too serious, which is perfectly understandable considering everything you've been through."

"You're good," he muttered. "I can't even tell when you're sincere anymore."

"I just wanted you to want me for me; not because you needed my professional advice or because you needed my body for distraction or because you needed a substitute mother figure for your son. I just wanted everything resolved, settled and healed, before I dropped the next bomb."

"How do I know this isn't just another one of your lies?"

"You're just going to have to believe me. I know my word don't mean much to you right now, but I'll do anything to earn your trust back."

"Anything? How about telling the truth? How about admitting you never wanted me to know, that you never wanted me to have any part of this!"

"That's not true!"

"So you weren't getting ready to run, to disappear, to go into hiding?! That's what bugs me the most, what hurts the most," he admitted, pausing to take several deep breaths, as if it was a struggle to get the words out. "You are no better than HER! You were going to rob me of this whole experience, just the same way SHE did!"

There was no question who 'she' was; he was making a direct comparison between their current situation and the nameless, faceless woman who had been the first to spring a child on him and it stung. Bella felt tears welling to her eyes again.

"Edward, I hope you know that I never meant to hurt you, ever." She reached for him. He tensed, but let her touch his cheek. "Hurting you is the last thing I wanted to do."

He grabbed her wrists and pushed her backwards. Again, it was a gentle, cautious movement, but still abrupt enough for Bella to sway on her feet. She instinctively clutched her stomach, as if to protect the spark of life in her womb. It was an action that caused the front of her T-shirt to stretch over her torso and chest in a way that had Edward cursing under his breath. His eyes were clouding over again, with what, she wasn't sure...

She didn't get it at first, not until saw where his eyes had wandered. Oh. Ooooh….. Wet, almost see through T-shirt, cold air and shit loads of hormones…. It was an easy out, a cheap shot, a card she knew she shouldn't play, but there was no controlling her body's reaction. She didn't have to look to know her nipples were rock hard and clearly visible through sheer fabric.

"I guess these wet rags do me no favors, eh?" she muttered, embarrassed by her lack of self-control. "I'm not trying to purposely distract you or anything…" she heard herself ramble. " I mean, I was before, sort of…. to stop you from leaving, but not now… now it's just cold."

"Relax Swan, it's cold, I get it," he shrugged it off as if it was nothing.

It didn't escape her notice that he was back to calling her by her last name, which sounded oddly like an endearment in her ears. It was an old tradition between them and she took it to mean that his anger had eased somewhat. Or was it just wishful thinking on her part?

As she studied him carefully, looking for clues, he ventured over to a wooden bench, which turned out to be a storage box. "It's partly my own fault. This wouldn't have happened if I had gotten you this when you first asked for it," he admitted, returning with a bath towel in his hands.

She reached for it, but he held it away. He was certainly looking way more collected and put together than he had done just minutes ago. There was simply no way of telling what would come next. He was a loose cannon, there was no predicting his actions and reactions.

He motioned for her to pull her T-shirt over her head and strangely, she felt like she had no other choice but to comply. This was madness. She knew she was setting herself up for disaster.

"This makes you feel vulnerable?" he questioned, his eyes lingering on her form, no doubt taking stock over all the ways her physique had changed over the last few months.

"I guess," she admitted meekly. Like everything else she was feeling for Edward, this was new, and sharp, and almost too much to bear. She felt unattractive, flawed, awkward… vulnerable. Yeah, vulnerable summed it up pretty well.

"Good!" he rasped, in a voice that had dropped nearly a full octave. "You're always so in control, so rigidly in charge of every situation. You've been the one in control from the moment you and I met. You're not in control now, and believe me when I say that you will never be in control over me again."

Was that how he really felt? Her mind reeled through memories of the two of them together. He was right about one thing; it had always been a power struggle between the two of them, but was that really such a bad thing?

"Take off your bra," his terse command cut through her spinning thoughts.

She hesitated, swallowing hard. "Are you serious?"

"Dead serious. You said you'd do anything," he said in a more soothing voice, "Did you not mean it?" he challenged, reaching behind her and expertly unclasped the hooks of her bra. Her breasts spilled out and bounced downward. They were sagging a bit these days, being more rounded and less supported than they'd been just a few weeks ago, here was no denying that, but they still seemed to fascinate him to no end.

"They've grown," he stated unnecessarily. "I though it was just my imagination, but even your nipples are bigger."

"Areolas," she corrected him, automatically. "They get darker so that the baby will see them better when it comes time to breastfeed."

"Babies have bad eyesight?"

"I guess," she shrugged, feeling rather silly and exposed, just standing there like that. "I'm not a lexicon or a medical doctor. You should Google it, if you really are that interested."

"You really think that's such a good idea?" Edward smirked, seemingly unfazed by the absurd direction this had taken.

"Oh shut up!" Bella shuddered as horrid images flashed through her mind. "On second thought, don't Google it, ask your father instead, or better yet your brother. I bet he can provide a wealth of information on this subject."

This time it was Edward's time to shudder. "Yeah, thanks, but I think I'll pass," he grimaced, his eyes never once leaving her chest. "I can't get over how big and swollen they look."

"They feel swollen. Everything feels swollen, even my feet. You can't possibly find any of this particularly appealing?" Bella sighed, gesturing with her hands up and down her body.

"Yes, Swan, You're absolutely repulsive, that's why I'm standing here gawking at you," he mocked her with a short laugh. Then he tugged at her hip and surprised her by pulling her fully against him.

"Actually I'm planning on doing more than just gawking. I'm going to touch, squeeze and knead and you're not going to stop me."

He didn't wait for her response before cupping each full globe in his hands. Bella gasped, and it wasn't entirely in pleasure. The tenderness of her breasts nearly brought her to tears.

He kissed her then, not gently, not tenderly. He didn't kiss her to comfort her. He kissed her to shut her up and it worked. She clung to him, kissed him back, drank in the taste of him, revelled in the feel of him.

Initially he just squeezed her breasts lightly while flicking his thumb over her hard nipples. When she started to respond to his touch, he moved on to full on massaging them, testing their texture and firmness with ruthless gentleness.

She felt a hand snake its way into her panties, felt it come into contact with her moist folds, and realized with absolute certainty that she didn't have the willpower or even the desire to deny him anything.

Shudder after shudder ran through her body as he stroked her into a frenzy of arousal. His mouth moved from her lips, down to the sensitive hollow of her throat and then on to the tightly pebbled peaks of her breasts.

"Not so in control now, are you?" Edward breathed against her skin, before pulling back to look her properly in the eye.

She shook her head and then moaned loudly as several fingers were plunged into her wet, slick heat.

"Let's keep it that way," he grunted, nudging her feet apart. Her knees buckled then, threatening to no longer support the weight of her body. A strong arm was wrapped around her to keep her upright and she found herself being backed up against the nearest wall for support. As their combined weight hit the glass pane, there was a muffled but definite thump that had Bella jerking in startled surprise.

"It's just snow," Edward muttered, his mouth returning to the valley between her breasts"…sliding off the roof."

"And here I thought the walls were caving in around us." She tried to laugh at her own joke, but it came out sounding more like a sob as Edward sucked one of her nipples into his mouth.

"Don't worry, we'll get to that in a minute," he promised, scoring his teeth across the ûber sensitive tip. Bella's eyes fluttered shut and she bit her lip hard to keep herself from whimpering out loud.

Edward's skilled fingers were once again moving mercilessly inside her, but now his strokes had became bolder and firmer. Another finger joined the party, increasing her pleasure tenfold. Unable to restrain herself any longer, she moaned loudly as her hips rocked frantically against his hand.

She felt him chuckle against her collarbone, his tongue trailing along her skin. He twisted his fingers, curved them, until he found the spot that had her twitching and gasping uncontrollably. "Cum for me, Swan," he rasped, his teeth teasing the nerves on the side of her neck, as he made his way up to nibble her earlobe. The pad of his thumb began circling her clit and she fell apart, clenching and pulsating around his fingers. Wave after wave of pleasure rocked her body until she collapsed, sweating, and breathing hard, against Edward's chest.

He graciously let her lean on him while she came down from her high. The head rush from having a standing orgasm was incredible. She made the mistake of gushing to him about it; telling him how amazing it had felt and how she should let him be in control more often, to which jerked away from her as if she had just delivered a slap to his face.

"Let me? LET me?" he snapped in a growl. "I'm not a lapdog. I'm a grown man. I'm not letting you walk all over me anymore."

She stroked his chin, forcing him to look down at her "I never thought you were, but good for you!"

Edward wasn't that easily placated.

"I wish you would have told me sooner… You shattered every ounce of trust I had in you by not telling me sooner."

Placing one hand over her heart Bella tried to bring her breathing back under good regulation. "You shut me out. You stopped talking to me, you told me you didn't want the things I wanted anymore. "

"You could have told Alice, she would have made me talk to you."

"You make it sound so easy, Edward." Her chest constricted painfully and she focused on breathing in and out to try and calm himself. "Alice DID force you to talk to me and look where that got us," she forced out, swallowing the lump in her throat as her stomach continued to rise and fall rapidly like there was an alien in there trying to get out.

"Yeah, look were it got us," Edward sighed, wiping his hand on his pants. "We are still messing around when we should be talking. There is no fixing this, no way to make this work." He shuffled past her, heading for the door.

She ran after him and grabbed onto his arm. "Yes, there is…" Not caring if she was pleading – begging, she clutched the front of his shirt. "…there HAS to be!"

"What's done is done, and... there is no going back." He pushed her aside, shaking his head. "There is no repair for a mercilessly smashed heart."

"NO! Don't say that," Bella could literally hear her own heart breaking into a million pieces. "You don't mea-..:" she started, but found herself interrupted mid-sentence when the sickening cracking sound grew into an intensity that stopped just short of unbearable. It was followed by an ominous, deep rumble that reverberated through the entire pool house as the walls began to shake around her.

Yes, this time the walls really were caving in… or portion of the glass roof to be precise. The weight of the wet, thawing snow had finally become too much for the structure to bear. With a deafening roar the construction caved and all the glass panes came collapsing down like a deck of cards.

.

.oOo.

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AN: * knocks on screen* You still there? You still breathing? Good! So are Bella and Edward, I promise. Key phrase in the last fraction of the chapter are the words " portion of the glass roof". It wasn't the whole roof that came falling down, only a portion of it. I'm not killing anybody off, just yet, ok?!

These three past chapters actually came to me in a dream about a month ago. I've never dreamt of a fic I've been writing on before, ever (or any fic I've read for that matter). I've always rolled my eyes a little every time I've heard talk about Twilight coming to her in a dream. Because… yeah, that explains SO much…. ;) Anyway, sparkly vampires aside… This was fun to write, hope it wasn't too bizarre for you. I'm looking forward to hear what you thought of it.

There is actually a little bit of a true story mixed into this. A few years ago we were blessed (or cursed) with an unusually snowy winter. We're talking meters of snow, here. I loved it, but others hated it. Several buildings in my little hometown caved under the weight of the snow, among them the rec center where my aunt used to go swimming every week as a part of her rehabilitation (hip surgery). No one was hurt as it happened during the night, thankfully! Another building that collapsed was an old indoor tennis court. It was being used for a Rabbit Exhibition when suddenly the roof came tumbling down. Again, it happened during nighttime so no humans were injured, but hundreds of cages were destroyed and there were unfortunately a few casualties among the rabbits. Most of them survived though and had the time of their life 'socializing' with their friends before they could all be chased down and returned to their owners. A lot of new little baby rabbits saw the light of day after that incident ;)

Speaking of babies… Do you see Anthony with a baby sister or a baby brother? Someone mentioned that it would be cliche if the baby was a girl, because so many fics ends with the main couple having one of each and then living happily ever after. Personally I prefer uneven numbers - 3, 5, 7(!) and as for gender… My brother's baby turned out to be a little girl and I'm having so much fun right now shopping little dresses and girly outfits =) That's not a hint though as to how this story will end. I'm still a bit indecisive about that one… hence the question…


	39. Chapter 38 - And It All Ended With A Big

**Chapter 38 - And It All Ended With A Big Bang!  
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**AN: Warning! The later part of this chapter deals with a sensitive subject which some readers may find upsetting. **

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Never had he ever imagined that this was how his life would end.

Edward was taken off his feet and flung backwards by the pressure wave. He hit the ground, hard, breath knocked out of his lungs.

The darkness welcomed him gladly.

Oh how he wished to stay, fought to stay in the sweet, empty blackness that was his slumber, but something was wrong… Something was off. Something tugged at his mind through the darkness; an urgent, haunting sound that made itself known at infrequent intervals.

"elp-elp-elp-elp-somebodyeeelp!"

Slowly, the sound became clearer through the fog that surrounded his brain and consciousness returned to him like a punch in the gut.

"B-bella… " he tried to call out a response, but only a hoarse stutter came out. Bella… his Bella… was calling for help, with not a single soul to hear her cries. He had to pull himself together, had to gather his senses, had to be strong for Bella

He swallowed hard and tried again, "Bella!"

His voice was still just barely audible, but the response was instant. "Edward! Edward! Can you hear me? ARE YOU ALRIGHT? Edward!"

There was so much darkness. Not the dreamlike, blurry blackness from before, but one that stemmed from a lack of light sources and visual cues. He couldn't see her, but he could hear her; to his left, eight maybe nine feet away.

"Edward?" she called out for him again and he peered over to where her voice was coming from. She was so far away from him, he felt she might just as well have been on the other side of the planet.

"'m right h-here." His head hurt, his back hurt, his chest hurt and the rest of his body seemed to be aching out of sympathy. "I'm alright," he said through clenched teeth, more to assure himself than Bella.

"You weren't answering. I was afraid —"

"S'ry." He braced his shaky hands on the floor and pushed himself up to a sitting position. A wave of dizziness swept over him. What the hell just happened… an explosion? No, but a crash of some sort. Not another car crash, though…. No… He tried to think to the last thing he could remember, but nothing fit or made sense to him.

"Edward… We've got to get out of here… the roof…. the rest of the roof, it might still collapse and bury us."

The roof! The roof had literally come crashing in. It had caved in the weight of the snow. All at once everything came back to him.

"Bella, are you alright? Talk to me! Are you hurt?" He pushed himself up on his hands and knees in blind panic and then forced his body to move forward in something that resembled a crawl.

"I'm okay, but you've got to help me. I can't…. " She broke off and let out a choked sob before continuing. "….can't move. It hurts so bad."

"Bella, where does it hurt?" he asked, slowly feeling his way towards her. There was debris scattered everywhere; sharp, irregular pieces of broken glass, wood and metal, all mixed with snow and ice and other objects he couldn't identify.

"My shoulder." Her voice was fainter than it had been mere seconds ago, like she was losing her strength.

Crap! It seemed to take forever for him to reach her side.

"Don't pass out on me!" he begged as he pushed forward. "Did you hit your head? Did you lose consciousness at all? "

"No, I caught myself with my hands, but the impact was too much…my bad arm…it caved and I landed on my shoulder."

"What about your neck and back? What about….?" His voice wavered, afraid to ask the question out loud.

"I caught myself with my hands. I would never… " She panted as though each word was a strain. "I would rather risk breaking neck and bones than have anything happen to… to…"

"I know. I'm sorry. Bella, you'll be okay…. you're going to be fine," he assured her, finally getting close enough to make out the form of her body enshrouded in shadows. "You just hang strong. Help is on it's way. It has to be. The collapse was loud as hell. Somebody must have heard…something. They should be here any minute."

He tried reaching out to check her for injuries, but she let out a low growl to warn him. Edward lowered his hand, comprehension dawning on him. She wasn't exaggerating her pain. He would have to be very careful not to worsen the situation.

"Sorry, love. Can you move your fingers or bend your elbow?"

A pitiful whimper answered his question. He could vaguely make out her face and her tense expression told him everything. This was going to be painful, exceedingly painful for Bella.

He realized her teeth were chattering and quickly pulled off his shirt, draping it over her.

"We really need to get out of here." He staggered to his feet, splinters of wood and other fragments falling from him like fish scales as he moved. "Do you think you can sit up if I help you?"

"Without passing out? No, but what choice do I have?"

"I won't lie, this is going to hurt, a lot," he murmured, as he bent down and looped one of his arms under her knees. With his other arm he then slowly and very gently moved to cradle her neck. "Listen to me Bella. Tuck your elbow to your body and try to hold your shoulder as still as yo-…"

"Edward, wait!" She stopped him abruptly, her hand gripping his wrist like a vice. "I hear something!"

And sure enough seconds later a sickening sound of metal being wrenched apart was heard over the cacophony of howling winds, rustling trees and loose objects falling, breaking and shattering to pieces as the building continued to quite literally fall apart around them.

"Shit! We can't wait any longer. I'm sorry, " he apologized, before utilizing all and every ounce of strength and willpower he had left to sweep her off the floor and into his arms.

Bella shrieked in what appeared to be a mixture between of shock and pain,cursing him to death, hell, and everything in between.

"Sshh, you'll be okay. I'll get us out of here." He hoped it was true, prayed for whatever strength the gods may grant him. "You'll be okay. You'll be okay," he repeated as though it was some sort of mantra.

Someone above must have been listening because suddenly there was light. Suddenly he could see where he was putting his feet, which was an immense help. Out of seemingly nowhere, a beam of blinding white light had appeared. It flew through the air, slicing through the darkness as easily as butter… Voices followed the light, voices calling out their names.

"Edward! Bella!"

"OVER HERE! WE'RE OVER HERE!"

The light stopped moving around, and pointed straight at them.

"Edward, are you guys alright?"

Carlisle… Edwards legs almost gave out from relief when he recognized his father's voice, but then Bella began slipping in his armsand hehad to force himself to stay upright and fight to hold onto her.

"W-We're alive, but we'll need an ambulance."

"I've already called. They are on their way."

A second beam of light joined the first one. "We're going in! Hang in there, we're coming."

Emmett… Crap! "NO!" Edward protested with a sudden sense of urgency. His brother wasn't exactly known for his precise moves and finesse. "Stay where you are. Things are still collapsing left and right. Any movement could set it off."

It was an understatement of cosmic proportions. There were some pretty nasty pieces of glass hanging down from what remained of the roof. The last thing he needed was to have his brother come rushing to the rescue only to end up beheaded or otherwise dismembered.

Now that there was more light, he could see the full extent of the blow. Almost the whole glass portion of the roof was lying in a mangled mess on the ground, RIGHT where he had been standing, arguing with Bella,mere minutes ago.

If they had still been… If they hadn't... It was painfully clear that what the outcome would have been, had they been standing directly under that roof, but there was no point in dwelling on 'what-ifs'. They were still in a potentially dangerous situation and Edward knew he had to move, had to push forward, hat to get them out of there.

He took a staggering step. Then another. Every move, every breath, was a battle, but he fought ahead anyway. The time for rest would come later, but for now, he had a job to do.

The muscles in his legs were burning under the strain and Bella slipped, inch by inch, from his arms. Was she even conscious anymore? She was so quiet and certainly did feel heavier than before.

He scraped his leg on something sharp and cold but he couldn't afford to slow down. There was broken glass everywhere, and this was shatterproof glass, he could only imagine how bad it would have been if his mother wasn't the kind of person that believed in using only the highest qualitymaterials and contractors.

Just then, another segment of something, most likely more glass, broke away and came crashing to the ground few meters behind them. Dust, snow, and smaller bits of debris swirled andricocheted in all directions. Instantly the air filled with yelling and shouting.

"WATCH OUT!"

"Keep moving!"

"F*ck! It's collapsing! It's collapsing!"

"Edward, keep walking, I'll meet you half way." Emmett again. His voice boomed louder than the others.

Edward didn't protest this time. There was no place for caution, forethoughts or deliberation in his mind. His only thoughts were of Bella and how desperately he wanted to keep her safe.

Hoisting her up, he kept going. One incredibly strenuous step at a time until his brother was there, ready to take over.

"OW! Ow, ow, ow, ow! That F*ing hurts!" Bella whimpered, as Edward shifted herbody. He felt bad for causing her pain, but relieved to hear anything from her at all. "I know honey, I know… I'm sorry," he apologized, passing her over to Emmett, who gathered her up and immediately began making his way back towards the front of the pool house.

Edward followed, stumbling along as best he could. Eventually, though it seemed like an eternityto Edward,they were out of the damage building and in the clear. Well, in the clear as far as falling objects were concerned.

He felt a blanket being draped over him and an arm being placedaround his shoulders. "No," he rasped, his voice oddly strained, "You need to help Bella first!" He tried to push the arms away. "Where is she?! I need to know she's okay!"

"Your brother is carrying her inside, where it's warm. The ambulance will be here shortly, but in the meanwhile we need to get you both out of this cold."

"Bella is inside?"

"Yes."

"Then that's where I should be too, "he nodded, suddenly feeling years older. "Dad, you've got to help me. I don't think I can walk another step."

"That's why I'm here, Edward, That's why I'm here."

.

…..

.

So, I've got news for you, diary,

My brother is back in town and wants to see me (freaking unbelievable, I know!). Not sure how to feel about it. This guy has been dead to me for years. He says he's back to wreak havoc and get retribution for the 'damages' done to his reputation. Again, not sure how I feel about any of this. With James you never know when he's serious or when he's just playing around..

He was a good brother to me growing up. He was a jerk sometimes, but if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have any pleasant childhood memories at all. I loved listening to him and was fascinated by his knowledge of things. He was my lifeline for so long. He was always showing me cool things. He was good to me until he wasn't. I'll never forgive him for letting THEM put me away, for letting THEM rob me of my freedom… Of course, one could argue that it was the other way around; that I had a part in putting him away. My memories are blurry at best, but supposedly THEY had me give testimony against him. By 'they' and 'them' I mean my mother, and the therapists and doctors that my new daddy had forced on me….oh fun times… I doubt anything I said in court was too incriminating, considering how drugged up they had me at the time, but still… James left me to fend for my self, never to contact me again. Until now that is….

I've only spoken to him briefly on the phone, but he has made it clear that he wants us to meet up. I don't necessarily want to see him, but he says he can help me with money, says that he will set me up with a new apartment. Now lord knows I can't back down on an offer like that. Did I forgot to mention I was evicted from my last place of residence? The kiddo was sick one to many times. If you can't work you can't buy food and put a roof over your head. The following weeks were survived couch-hopping from friend to friend. Well, mostly Maria's couch, seeing as she's the only one that's even remotely tolerant to baby cries, and stinky diapers.

So yeah, I'm considering meeting up with my brother. He is the only member of my family that I've ever cared about. It's like the circle is finally coming together and connecting. Without James I would have never met my true love. If me and Eddie never met, I wouldn't be stuck with a screaming baby to nurse. And without that screaming baby I wouldn't be this short of cash. And if I wasn't short of cash, I wouldn't be considering meeting up with my brother again. However, if my brother actually comes trough for me, I'll finally have the money I need to go after my love and claim him as mine, once and for all… See, a circle completed, a destiny fulfilled.

Speaking of destiny. Last night I dreamt I was back in that car again with Edward. I was straddling his lap in the front seat, my hands inside his boxers, fingers wrapped around him, stoking him, getting him off. Then I woke up. DAMN. IT! Always at the good part.

Oh well, it was a great night and I shall choose to relive it whenever I feel like it. Conveniently, in my mind he's always eager and willing. He may put on a show of being reluctant, but he always give in. Just like he did that night… Convincing him to get in the car with me was easy, but once inside he acted like he was ready to bolt at any second. I didn't buy the act; in fact it made me even more sure of what I'd known all along; he wanted me. It was just going to take some gentle coaxing to get him to come to terms with it.

Of course, gentle wasn't exactly my strong suit back then, so when the subtle approach didn't work, I took matters into my own hand.. Yes literally… Without further ado, my hand went for his crotch, squeezing him through his pants. That certainly did the trick! He bit back a throaty moan, inhaling loudly. I added more pressure and a rubbing motion and he threw his head back on the couch and squeezed his eyes shut.

I've got magic hands it seems, because after that he was a lot more agreeable. He let me untuck his shirt, unfasten his belt, and unzip his pants. He even raised his hips so I could slide his slacks off. He willingly let me touch him, feel him, stroke his quivering flesh.

So far so good, right?… but THEN confused the hell out of me telling me to slow down.

He only said it once, just once, and there wasn't enough conviction in his voice to make me take his request seriously. Besides his arousal betrayed him. He was quite clearly enjoying the attention, growing hard and thick in my hands. Determined not to give him time to think, I jerked him off like a pro. Of course, afterwards he acted as if he was getting ready to bolt again. Silly boy, I wasn't done yet, not even close.

He scrambled to tuck himself back into his boxers again, but thankfully his crotch was a wet, sticky mess, making it damn near impossible for him to hide the goodies away. I did very much like having his jewels on full display so I knew a change of tactics was in order. I decided then and there that it was due time for another emotional breakdown. Cue the water works…. I sobbed, and I sobbed, and then I sobbed some more, making him promise to stay with me and keep me safe until I could clock out and go home. I told him I couldn't go back inside alone. I told him that if I left early without collecting my paycheck at the end of my shift, I'd lose the money I was entitled to, for sure. And then I went for the kill, by telling him another phony sob story about my abusive jerk of an ex. Edward, being the good guy that he is, agreed, albeit rather hesitantly, to stay put for another 43 minutes. What were another 43 minutes between friends, eh?

For starters, it gave me plenty of time to let him cool down and lull him in the false sense of being in control of the situation. I offered Edward the last bottle of Jaeger and what was left of my pack of smokes. He turned down the booze, telling me he preferred being lucid enough to know what he was doing. We talked some, or I did anyway. He mostly stared out the window with glassy, vacant eyes, occasionally making humming noises to himself. Having him fall asleep on me had never been part of the plan, but there was this whole refractory-period thing to take into consideration.

I waited… and waited… and waited, until finally I couldn't stand it anymore. I could see the shock on his face as I unceremoniously straddled his lap and went to work on getting him hot and bothered again. I unclasped my padded bra and let my boobs hang free just inches away from his face. They bounced along nicely as I kept grinding against him in a steady rhythm. He seemed enthralled by it all, dazed even… for a while at least…Then, with a growl, his hands came down to grab my hips, and he told me to stop.

This he actually said twice, but just like before there was no conviction in his voice.

I silenced him with my mouth. Grabbing the back of his neck, I pulled his face to mine and forcefully snaked my tongue into his mouth. His grip on me loosened and I was back to moving up and down on his lap again. The friction was intoxicating and it made me forget that he had ever told me to stop. He seemed to have forgotten about it too, judging by the way he grunted and bit down on my lower lip.

I hiked my black uniform skirt up above my waist and was pleasantly surprised when Edward was the one to pull the crotch of my panties aside. See, not as reluctant as he pretended to be. He muttered something about returning the favor as his fingers stroked my inner thigh. Now that was thoughtful of him, but I had bigger plans. I wanted more from him, more of him than just his fingers.

His trousers were still undone, gaping at the front and his boxers were already halfway off. It didn't take more than a yank to get them out of the way. I went fast , worried he's change his mind again. Lowering myself down on him, I took him as deep as I could as fast as I could. It wasn't entirely pleasurable as it was a little abrupt, but then I started moving and the friction from the thrusting burned my core. It was so surreal, having him under me, in me like that. This sensation will live in my memory forever. Now this is the moment I relive over and over again. What came afterwards...a big let down… I try not to think about it too much.

I moved faster, squeezed him tighter, grew wetter. He didn't move his hips much nor did he pull me to him or meet my thrusts. It didn't matter though, the friction alone would have been enough to get me off… Key phrase 'would have been'…

Three thrusts were all I got. Suddenly, there was a knock on the thickly fogged car window. DAMN. IT! I nearly cried when I felt Edward's dick slip out of me. A flashlight moved rapidly in the dark. Then a deep voice introduced himself as the car park patrol officer and asked if everything was okay. We didn't answer him, but fortunately, the guy wasn't a complete asshole. He simply informed us he needed to check the rest of the area and wouldn't be back again for another ten minutes. If we were gone when he came back, he'd forget he'd even seen us.

Now ten minutes was more than enough to finish what we'd started. Would have been more than enough for a quick, but satisfying fuck, only it was like a switch had been flipped. The mood was gone, along with loverboy's erection. His hard-on had softened quite noticeably, leaving him limp like a wet noodle …. But he didn't even cum. How was that even possible? Life's unfair I tell you!

So yeah, the mood was killed. I moved to reach for him again, but he wouldn't have it. This time when Edward told me STOP and NO and GET OFF ME, there was plenty of force behind his words. The same went for the shove with which he practically lifted me off him. He was out of the seat, out of the car in a matter of seconds. He didn't leave though, instead he told me, through clenched teeth, that I had two minutes to get myself together. Even drunk and completely out of it, he still kept his word and escorted me inside..

See this is how I know he's one of the good guys, this is how I know next time will be perfect. No interruptions. No distractions. No interference. Just perfect.

_All of us get lost in the darkness - dreamers learn to steer by the stars _

_All of us do time in the gutter - dreamers turn to look at the cars _

_- The Pass (1989)_

Love always,  
Angela Cullen_  
_

….

**AN:** So.. What do you think? I know quite a few of you dislike reading Angela's diary entries. I'm pretty sure this was the final to last one. I'm ready to put stalker Angela to rest once and for all.

I'm going to go ahead and address some questions that I've received regarding the Angela/Edward hook up.

**Q:Was Edward raped?**

A: I've always answered no to this question, but that was before I actually wrote the chapter. Now that I have read through it a few times, I can see that the answer to the question isn't crystal clear. Feel free to give me your opinion on this. I'm a fairly liberal-minded Swede and I get the sense that there are some cultural differences on this topic. Just remember to keep it civil ;) This is fanfiction after all.

My personal beliefs are as follows:

He entered the car willingly. He let her touch him, kiss him, jerk him off.

He did tell her to slow down, and to stop, but in the end he was the one that pushed her panties aside, so up to that point I'd say he was still game.

The knock on the window was crucial, it gave him time to collect himself. That's when he told her NO, and lifted her off his lap and got himself away from the situation. He was never restrained in any way, and with him being twice her size and could have shoved her away at any point, but he didn't.

He was definitely used, abused and manipulated. I know the alcohol in his system is the springing point of this. He was drunk, but not to the point where he could not make his own decisions. I believe his mind was clear enough to know what he was getting himself into. The question is, have I managed to get that point across in my writing?

**Q:Was Edward drugged?**  
A: nope, Carlisle ran a tox screen. There was not other drugs in his system other than the alcohol. And his alcohol levels were not dangerously high.

**Q: Why doesn't Edward remember having sex with Angela?**

A: The human mind is a very complex mechanism and I believe that we will never come to understand it completely.

For starters, what if Edward's his mind rationalizes that it wasn't sex because they were interrupted and never completed the act? Just a thought…

I'm sure his defense mechanisms kicked in. He cannot allow himself to remember the truth, because it reminds him of another time, another situation with a much darker outcome. A situation, he couldn't get away from until it was too late.

I don't know if you all remember the exact order of events (it will be dealt with again in a future chapter), but after Edward returned inside the club again he came in contact with some bad shrimps, had an allergic reaction and a panic attack that landed him in hospital. He thought he was dying, he saw his life flashing before his eyes. And afterwards whenever he would think back on that night, his medical crisis is first thing that springs to his mind. Not the girl he almost fucked in the parking lot.

**Q: Edward has met Angela several of times, why doesn't he recognize her?**

A: Angela was fighting an uphill battle from the get go. While she felt she had met the love of her life, the truth was that she didn't even register on Edward radar. He never really saw her.

If my memory serves me correctly, he ran into her 4 or 5 times over a period of six years. But it was a different Angela he met every time; the starry eyed teenager, the self-conscious awkward outcast, the manic stalker, the ferocious flirt. It was the same person, but with a different look and a different personally each time. Angela was not a stable individual. There were up- ward spirals and downward spirals altering her mood.

**Q:Wait?! Did Angela get pregnant from precum?**

A: Yep, sort of. Precum doesn't contain any sperm, however it CAN have sperm in it if there is any sperm left over in the urethra from a previous ejaculation. The chances of getting pregnant from this are very slim, but it is still a possibility.

**Q: Do you really think your plot is realistic at all?**

A: This is fanfiction, not everything needs to make sense or add up. It's all about the reading experience.


	40. Chapter 39 - Dislocated, disconnected an

**Chapter 39 - Dislocated, disconnected and out of reach**

xXxXxXx

.

Hello, you have reached the personal voice inbox of B. Swan. I'm not available to take your call at the moment, but please leave your name, number and a brief message after the tone, and I'll call you back.

*beep*

Hi, Miss Swan, my name is Liz McMahon and I'm calling on behalf of Phil Dwyer. I'm supposed to give you the latest details regarding your travel itinerary. Can you please call me back on this number, as soon as possible? Thank you!

*beep*

Bella, loca. Clearwater here. Did you fall off the face of the earth or something? Did you at least check your e-mail before you fell? I've sent you a little something that I think you'll find interesting. Don't be a stranger, alright?!

*beep*

.

xXxXxXx

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"Luxated?"

Bella watched an agitated and very tense Edward, walk back and forth, between the couch and the window; away from her, towards her, away from her, towards her… It was good to see him alert and on his feet again, but his pacing was nauseating her.

It wasn't helping that her shoulder was throbbing with white hot pain and that her nostrils were assaulted withhe unsettling, metallic smell of blood…not helping at all… But faint she would not. Not when there were so many uncertainties… not when there was so much riding on her ability to stay calm and stress free…. Not when Edward looked like he was about to have a coronary.

His eyes were hugeand wild and he had been tugging at his hair so hard that Bella was sure he was going to tear out locks. "Luxated?" he repeated, stopping about halfway in his 'towards her' route, looking over at his father. "F*ck! That means dislocated, yes?"

"Yes, it means that the ball shaped bone of the upper arm has been knocked out of the socket it normally rests in," Dr. Cullen explained patiently, all the while keeping two fingers pressed to Bella's neck, checking her pulse. "It is typically caused by a sudden impact to the joint," he added, his eyes never leaving his watch.

"Figured that much," Bellamuttered trough pain-clenched teeth, braving a glance at her oddly angled shoulder. Yep, clearly dislocated, you didn't need to be a doctor to know that.

"What about her old wound? There is blood soaking through the bandage, clearly she must have torn it open again."

"Well, there is that too, but the pain she is experiencing right now is because of her shoulder," Carlisle said, removing his hand from her neck. "Your pulse is almost back to normal, Isabella. That's good. Having seen this sort of injury before, I'm surprised that you're managing so well. Many people pass out from shoulder dislocations."

"It's not the first time…. " Bella pushed her head back into the couch's throw pillows so that she was staring at the ceiling when she continued . " …once before….two years ago… same shoulder." She forced the words out, ignoring the burning sensation that followed whenever she moved.

"Then you know what needs to be done," Carlisle stated with a calm but serious expression and Bella nodded with a resigned grimace. Oh, she knew alright. This was going to be painful.

Edward followed their exchange with narrowed eyes. "What do you mean 'what-needs-to-be-done'? Don't you just pop it back in place? I mean, I realize it will hurt, but not as much as it would hurt if you left it untreated, right? Right?"

"I will try to reset it, yes, but it's not going to be easy. In fact, I'm going to need your help," his father replied. "Both of you," he added, directing the last part to Emmett, who up to that point had been standing silently in the doorway.

"Sure doc, whatever you need help with, just say the word."

"You can start by helping her up. She needs to be sitting on the edge of the cushions with her feet on the floor."

"Head up, feet down, I'm on it!" Emmett pushed away from the door frame and stepped further into the room. Edward, however, was faster and beat him to it. "Let me," he insisted, rushing to the couch.

"No, I've got this," Bella hurried to interject, as adamantly as she could. Moving around would undoubtedly hurt and she much preferred doing it on her own terms. When it looked like Edward was about to protest she added, "You could maybe help mer with the blanket instead. Wouldn't want it slipping..."

"I really think I should-…."

"NO," she shot him a death glare, until he threw hands up in a gesture of surrender. Then she moved….The minute she began scooting herself forward the pain intensified tenfold. She choked back a whimper and scooted some more. Then a little more, and a little more, until finally….. gravity took over, making her legs drop to the ground.

The edges of her vision blacked out for a second and she struggled a bit to breathe herself back to a state of composure. In through the nose, out through the mouth, in, out…

In the meantime Edward was quick to rearrange the fabric around her, just like she had known he would. It was almost comical, if ithadn't been such a worrisome situation. She could tell it bothered him that both his brother and his father had seen… uhm… a great deal of skin, when she had first been carried her inside the house. Silly boy, it was such an insignificant detail in the grand scheme of things. Sure, she would probably feel awkward about it later on, but for the time being everything was irrelevant, except the pain.

"Take your time, Isabella," Carlisle advised, his voice momentarily muffled from pulling his sweater over his head and twirling it into a rope-like form. "When you feel you're ready for it, I want you to bend your elbow at a 90 degree angle. I'm going to try and loop this sweater around your arm."

She relaxed the muscles of her arm and gave a nod. Bending it wasn't too bad, but moving it away from her body hurt like nothing before. In fact she would have fallen over if Edward hadn't been there to steady her., because for a long second, there was nothing but white, searing waves of agony, before the world righted itself again.

"Emmett, come stand by my side. I want you to hold on to this, once I have it in position," Carlisle instructed, carefully sliding the makeshift sling all the way up until it was directly under her armpit.

"Got it," Emmett stepped around the couch, ready to take on the task he'd been assigned. "Okay sugar, how are we going to do this? Hard and fast, or long and slow?" he asked in a cheeky voice that was probably meant to distract her. Like that would work… ha!

"Don't mess with me, Em," she advised him, between gritted teeth. "I'll tell Rose you were leering at my tatas."

"Hey, now… They were right there. Where was I supposed to look? At the ceiling?!"

Edward let out a sound between a strangled cough and a growl, taking a step towards his brother. Emmett, on the other hand, grinned, and winked at her, looking completely unfazed.

"Alright, focus!" Carlisle hurried to intervene. "Isabella, I'm going to help you rotate your arm and shoulder first inward, towards your chest, and then outward away from your body. Hopefully that will be enough pop it back into place, but it will not be a comfortable experience, and you might have to repeat it-…"

"…several times. I know."

"Edward, your sole job is to keep her upright and Emmett, I want you to give her shoulder a gentle tug upwards on my signal. Alright, are you ready, Isabella?"

She nodded and held her breath; hastily vowing not to pass out, if for no other reason than it being awfully cliche and predictable.

"One…."

Though there was also an honest fear that if she fainted, Edward would be gone when she came to… along with the tiny life inside her womb…She'd never forgive herself if anything happened and wasn't strong enough to fight for them.

"Two…."

She squinted her eyes shut and braced herself the best she could. 'Don't pass out, don't pass out, please don't pass out!'

"….Three!"

.

xXxXxXx

.

Hello, you have reached the personal voice inbox of B. Swan. I'm not available to take your call at the moment, but please leave your name, number and a brief message after the tone, and I'll call you back.

*beep*

This is Liz McMahon again. It's urgent that I speak with you, please call me back.

*beep*

Congratulations, Isabella Marie Swan Black! Your number has won $90,000.00 USD in the Mega Millions Lottery. To claim your prize send verification Number:CN-750623 to info , OR call 555-89-…."

*beep*

Isabella, it's Liz McMahon again. Mrs. Dwyer was kind enough to provide me with your personal e-mail address. I've sent you all the details needed for your flight tomorrow. If you have any questions don't hesitate to call.

*beep*

.

xXxXxXx

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"One…Two...Three!

Her entire body jerked as if she had been thrown into icy water.

Edward would never forget the keening wail of agony that escaped her lips. No matter how hurt and angered he was at her, hehated to see her like , the next sound that was heard was an audible shifting of bones as her shoulder moved back into its socket.

The pain seemed to subside almostinstantly.

She sagged against him and he caught her and gathered her in his arms, careful not to touch her shoulder. Her head rested on his chest and he could feel her shaky breaths slowly steady themselves, but her eyes were still closed and she remained unmoving.

Edward angled his face to look at his father for advice, but was interrupted when his mother came rushing into the room.

"I heard screaming. Is everything alright?" she asked, her voice a bit frantic. "Is there anything I can do? Should I try and call 911 again?"

"Isabella?" Carlisle inquired and Edward felt her nod her head against his chest. "You alright?" She nodded again and then they all saw her shift her injured shoulder ever so slightly so that she couldflex her arm and wiggle her fingers experimentally.

"It looks like we got it right on our first try," Carlisle concluded, giving his wife a reassuring smile. "We reset her shoulder. She'll be sore for a few days, but the hard part is done."

"Oh, I see," Esme said not sounding reassured at all.

"I'll need to check her pulse and blood pressure again and then, if the paramedics don't get here within the next five minutes or so, I will have to do something about her wound. I suspect she might need stitches this time."

"But.. but… she's in pain. Can't you give her something for her pain?"

Edward heard his mother verbalized the question that been nagging at the back of his mind; pain relief, muscle relaxers…herbs… there had to be something she could take to help ease the discomfort. He felt Bella shake her head in response and apparently his father was in agreeing.

"I could, but because of the circumstances, I'd like to wait until the paramedics get here."

"What circumstances?"Esme asked with a frown. "There is more, isn't it? Is it bad? Is that why you keep sending me away? Get us this, get us that!... Ice, towels, water… I'm not stupid, you know."

"Esme," Carlisle began. "You know I'm not allowed to divulge any information about my patients."

"Oh my god, so there IS more, then? Edward, please tell me what's going on!"

There was that frantic twinge in her voice again. Edward frowned. This was stupid. He saw no point in not telling her, it wasn't like she wouldn't find out once the paramedics arrived the thought had even fully formed, he heardhimself blurt out "Bella is pregnant, mum."

The room was silent for about ten seconds. Then hell broke loose….

"Another baby? You need to learn how to wrap it, bro!" Emmett, bellowed at the same time as Esme cried out, " . . ? . ?"

Edward ignored his brother because well… that's what he normally did when he was talking nonsense, but also because it sounded like his mother was on the verge of hysteria.

Turning, he sought his parents out with his eyes and found his mother standing right behind him peering down at them from above. Before he could locate his father though, Bella shifted in his arms, looking up at him with pained indignity written all over her pale was obviously not liking the way things were going. Touch luck! She should have thought of that sooner. She should have considered how her decisions would affect and possibly hurt others.

Now they had a distressed Esme going on and on about how the weak glass constructionwas all her fault and howmuch of it she could have prevented with a few different choices.

"Mum, Bella is going to be fine and this was not in any way your fault."

"I'm so sorry," his mother sighed deeply, shaking her head. "I brought all of this on."

"Mum, this wasn't your fault."

"Yes it was. I drew that building up myself. I picked the materials, the contractor, the…. the… I did everything myself. This is such a nightmare. If anything happens…I'd never…"

"Esme…" In three long strides, Carlisle had reached his wife and taken her in his arms.

"Wow, you control the weather, mum? Now, I'm impressed," Emmett joked, trying to ease some of the anxiety in the room. "The snow is hardly your fault."

"I really am fine," Bella, who'd kept quiet the whole time, finally spoke up. "It's the truth, Esme. I'm fine…we're fine." Her voice was hoarse, but the determination and resolve within was undeniably obvious. "Tell her Dr. Cullen," she insisted, slowly straightened herself until she was sitting in a more upright position. "You have my permission to tell the grandmother of our unborn child everything."

A choked sob was heard, then a quiet plead, "Please! Tell me everything!"

"I won't lie or sugarcoat it for you, Isabella," Carlisle warned.

"No, I know you wont, but you said that if there has been no bleeding or cramping, the likelihood is that everything will be fine.."

"Yes, but you've had two very dramatic incidents within a period of less than 48 hours. This is something that needs to be taken seriously and you will have to go to the hospital and be examined properly to find out the extent of your injuries."

"So, you don't really know one way or another yet?" Esme asked in small, hesitant voice

"They will most likely keep her under observation for a few days, but I think, and I stress the word THINK, that both Bella and the baby will be perfectly fine."

Just then a pitiful wail filled the air and Alice walked into the room with a whimpering, pyjama clad, little boy on her hip and her cell phone pressed to her ear. "I've got Jasper on the phone. He says he's been down to the main road and back. The road is clear."

Emmett reached to take the phone from her "Hey J, You haven't seen or heard anything? No flashing lights, no sirens?!" He shook his head indicating that Jaspers response had been a 'no'. "Hold on Jasper, I can't hear you. Alice, can we maybe do something about the weeping kiddo?"

"Sure…. I've got an idea, why don't you do something about it, while I finish my call!" Alice suggested, handing the crying toddler over to his uncle. "There you go, now give me back my phone."

Anthony clearly wasn't too happy about being passed around like a football and as a result the whimpering grew in disturbed Edward a great deal, though he couldn't quite explain , he stared at the boy... his son, realizing he had all but forgotten he even existed. He felt Bella push on his chest, indicating that she though he should be the one to comfort the boy, but he couldn't bring himself to move… at all.

"What do you say, dad? Should I tell Jasper to come back inside or do you want him to try and meet up with the ambulance."

"Tell him to park by the crossroad and keep the headlights turned on. We can't afford to have them miss the turn."

"What's the hold up? I don't get it! These people should know where the chief of surgery of their hospital lives." Emmett grumbled, bouncing Anthony up and down like a yo-yo. This seemed to placate the boy, but only for a moment, because unfortunately the movements caused him drop his precious stuffed tiger bear on the floor. There was no stopping the water works after that.

"Edward," Bella grabbed his jaw, forcing him to look at her. "If you don't go to him, I will."

Now, that was a ridiculous thing to say. Even sitting up, she was still limp against his side, more or less relying on him to stay upright. There was no way she was going anywhere. Yet he couldn't risk her trying. She should be lying down, why wasn't she lying down?

Apparently he had said the last part out loud, because Anthony was responding to the sound of his voice, clawing at his uncle's arms to be set down on the floor.

"Ed-Edward," Bella said his name again, only this time with the added affect of stuttering.

He felt worry felt worry pool in the bottom of his stomach and gnaw hungrily at his she about to faint? Was it the blood loss? Her blood pressure? Her shoulder?… or was it the baby?

"Dad, can you…?" he heard himself say, not sure what exactly he was asking for. Carlisle seemed to be reading him like an open book though, because within minutes Bella had been maneuvered from a sitting to a lying position on the couch, leaving Edward free to get Anthony and bring him to her side.

Little fists grasped the neck of his shirt as the boy latched onto him so tightly it felt as though every bit of air had been squeezed out of his lungs. Anthony was needy and clingy, but for good reasons. The boy had been taken from everything he knew only to be thrown into a world where everything was foreign and new. Edward could tell the boy needed him for comfort, yet, right then and there, all he could think was how he needed air and also 'where the fuck was that fucking ambulance, goddammit!' Because seriously it felt like it had been hours since they had first made the call for help.

.

xXxXxXx

.

Hello, you have reached the personal voice inbox of B. Swan. I'm not available to take your call at the moment, but please leave your name, number and a brief message after the tone, and I'll call you back.

Hi Bells, it's Phil. Wanted to make sure you didn't lose track of time. It's 8:15 at the at the private air terminal. Renee is eager to speak with you. Hope to see you soon."

*Beep*

Clearwater here again. Please call me immediately, no matter the time. It's urgent that I speak with you.

*Beep*

"…."

*Beep*

It's Phil again. They can only hold the plane for another 20 minutes. You need to get to the terminal STAT.

*Beep*

Isabella Marie Swan, congratulation, you delayed a whole fucking plane with your tardiness!

Don't bother coming home. I'll deal with you when I get back from Europe.

*beep*

.

xXxXxXx

.

Now that the pain in her shoulder had lessened considerably, Bella noticed a few things she had missed before.

Edward had nasty a bump at the side of his forehead. Come morning, he'd probably have a shiner rivaling the one Anthony had been sporting a while back.

There were also cuts and scratches all over his legs. His jeans were torn on so many places, it was a wonder it held together at all. And there was blood… not a lot, but some of the cuts were deep enough to warrant concern. Edward, however, appeared to be completely oblivious to it all.

Thankfully, his father seemed to be on top of the situation though, because he ordered Esme to get him some more ice and then he steered Edward to take a seat on the couch.

It was a large piece of furniture, yet Edward ended up sitting on the armrest that was next to Bella's head. He was so close, in fact, that Anthony, who was perched on his lap, had his tiny, naked feet resting on either side of her face. It didn't escape Bella that this might be the last time in a long, long while, that she actually had both her boys within reaching distance.

Was she even allowed to call the little one hers? a small voice in the back of her mind questioned. It was a fair question. She had been so close to having it all… and now… now, Edward might never find it in his hear to forgive her. It stung, but it also helped her to keep her focus. And she needed to stay focused, she needed to keep her breathing light and even.

As if on cue, Carlisle appeared in her line of vision. "I'm going to check your pulse and blood pressure again. Just relax," he informed her, smiling reassuringly.

"Okay," she croaked. The tightness of her throat made her voice sounds strange and gritty. Why was talking such a struggle? There was so much left she needed to say.

Bella felt the now familiar pressure of a BP cuff being slipped over her hand and up her arm. Anthony made a soft, distressed sound, but thankfully someone, Alice, bless her heart, was there distracting him with his beloved stuffed toy.

"Alice?"

"I'm right here, Bella."

"Can you…" she coughed."….get me my phone?"

"Sure, of course. I can do that," Alice, assured her. "Dad, she sound's like she's having trouble breathing."

"She has breathed in a lot of dust and such, that's why her voice is rough." Carlisle watched the indicator needle on the gauge in his hand as he gently released the air from the bag.

"Your blood pressure is elevated, but not dangerously so." He nodded his approval. "I'm going to get you another blanket. You look cold." With that, he got up and disappeared.

She heard him talking to Esme, instructing her to go boil some milk and then he was telling Emmett and Alice to check on the rest of the family. Carlisle was clearing the room. Was it a good or a bad sign that the one person with medical training was ushering everyone else out of the room. Was it to give them privacy, or were there other reasons? The whisper in the back of her mind was back, unnerving and dark.

Anthony was fussing again and Edward was shifting him around. Bella almost got the impression that he too was about to get up and leave the room. A terrible, crushing loneliness weighed down on her. 'You better get used to it' the nagging voice in her head taunted, but then a gentle nudge from within her belly reminded her that there was still hope; a very, very small but real chance of everything being alright.

Then she felt another nudge, stronger this time, almost painfully strong. She must have flinched or moved or something, because Edward's face was suddenly looming over her.

"What is it, Swan?"

She didn't answer him straight away, her good arm finding its way under the blanket, feeling for wet spots between her tights and on the cushion she was resting on. She was relieved to find none.

"Bella, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm being silly. It's just… I'm just…."

"Oh…" he said, as if he understood perfectly. "Waiting for the other shoe to drop. I know the feeling." And it really seemed as though he did understand, because he pushed her hair out of her face and leaned down to peck her forehead. "Don't worry until you have a reason to worry."

"Not worried…about myself…. Never worried about myself…. Don't go….please….don't leave!"

On the word 'leave' two things happen simultaneously; one, the sound of an approaching car cut through the silence and two, Emmett came barging into the room, confirming that the ambulance had finally arrived.

After that, everything seemed to move very quickly. Before Bella could quite process what was happening she was being lifted onto a stretcher and carried out to the waiting ambulance.

There was a brief pause when they reached the vehicle and she tried to sit up, but Edward was there pushing her down. " Hey, hey, take it easy, Swan!"

"Where is Alice?" She had seen both Esme and Carlisle flash by in the periphery of her vision, but no Alice. "I can't leave without speaking to Alice"

"Is it your phone? Alice, hand me her phone!"

"No," Bella protested. "I want her to keep it… for now… It's important."

"Fine, I'm sure she'll guard it with her life, just stay calm a little while longer."

One of the paramedics tried to put an oxygen mask over her face, but she brushed it aside. "One more thing…" she rushed to get the words out. "The letter….Al, the letter."

"What letter?" Edward asked.

"What letter?" Alice parroted, appearing next to her brother.

"The envelope… in your…. purse."

"Those silly predictions we made? Forget it Bella. It was childish of me to eve-…."

"Open it, read it, follow the interactions. Promise me… and remember the phone."

"Alright, alright, I promise!"

"Sorry folks, it's time to leave. We've only got room for one extra person in the ambulance. Who's going with her?"

A few moments of tense, quiet deliberation followed. Strange, what was there to deliberate?

"I will..:"

"Anthony is going to need someone…"

"Carlisle, maybe you should…"

"…no I said, I will…."

Bella only heard half of what was being said around her, it left her feeling detached somehow, like her opinion didn't matter. Shouldn't she be the one to have the final word on the matter? Edward, it had to be Edward. Surely, Dr. Cullen must come to the same conclusion. The sooner Edward got the medical attention he clearly needed, the sooner he could be back with Anthony. She tried to speak but the oxygen mask got in the way and she did not have the strength to move it.

And then the stretcher was moving again and she found herself being lifted into the ambulance. She fought against the hands that tried to keep her still.

"Relax! You're not getting rid of me that easy."

Edward. She couldn't see him, but the voice came in loud and clear.

"I'm not done with you just yet. You'll be sick of me before you can shake me."

The last thing that registered before she drifted off, was the sound of Edward climbing inside the vehicle. He was still with her, still there, not gone…

.

xXxXxXx

.

Hello, you have reached the personal voice inbox of B. Swan. I'm not available to take your call at the moment, but please leave your name, number and a brief message after the tone, and I'll call you back.

*Beep*

Agent Swan, Jenks here. As your boss, I urge you to report your status and location immediately. Anything that can get the Dwyer's off my back would be much appreciated, thank you!

*Beep*

Uhm… I think the shit just hit the fan, Swan. Your mother called the chief man's house…. after office hours… while he was at the airport picking up his in-laws… his wife took the call. It didn't go over well. Where are you? I'm getting worried. I can't be your WINGMAN if you are not around for me to WING.

*Beep*

.

xXxXxXx

.


	41. Chapter 40 – Bella's Brask note

**Chapter 40 – Bella's Brask note**  
(The chapter title will be explained in the AN at the end of the chapter.)

Alice sat cross-legged on her bed with her Valentino Garavani denim petale Rose Bag in front of her. It was still dark out, but she couldn't sleep anotherwink. She had planned on letting the purse and its contents sit on the nightstand until morning, but the suspense was killing her. Curiosity was burning a hole in her inquisitive brain, like a fresh paycheck in a shopaholic's purse and it had been that way ever since the evening before when Bella had first mentioned the envelope… no, scratch that… It had burned a hole in her brain and purse ever since it had first been handed to her all those weeks ago.

Silently, she counted backwards in her head, trying to figure out when exactly that had been. Four weeks …. A month… Had it really only been a month since they had first learned the DNA test results? It felt like much longer. Crazy! However, if her memory served her correctly, it was later that very same night that Bella had penned down the words that were now protected by thereused, but very carefully sealed envelope that was stored away in her purse.

Yep, definitely that night, she remembered Edward being broody as hell and not at all pleasant to be around. It hadn't taken much to convince Bella to tag along down to the hotel bar for a chat over a few well deserved pink fizzy drinks and martinis. Actually,come to think of it, Bella had stuck to non-alcoholic cocktails that nigh, which of course, in hindsight, made total sense. Anyway; martini buzz or no martini buzz, it was only natural that her brother's name was mentioned quite a few times during their gossip-fest andman-bashingsession that night.

Alice had always had a strong feeling about those two; Edward and Bella, ever since high school really, when she had watched her brother acting oh so indifferent around the 'new girl' when in actuality, he had been smitten from the get go. He had tried to be stealthy about it, but let's face it - when you're a hormonal teenage boy, stealthy isn't exactly easy to pull off. Their attraction had been instant, and quickly progressed to a full blown fling. The fall-out had been... harsh. Although, Alice wasn't truly surprised by this. After all, love and hate are related and both signs of strong attachment. A relationship that intense, at such a young age was bound to leave its mark – on all the involved parties.

Time had proved that the incident wasn't an isolated occurrence. It was a pattern, one that had come to repeat itself whenever their paths had crossed from that point on. Their futures were linked together for sure. Alice saw two possible scenarios on opposite ends of the spectrum; they would either implode and self-destruct all together, or merge into a strong and unified force that would last a lifetime. The vibes she had been getting lately were all pointing in the same direction; her brother was about to face a crossroad.

Alice knew a lot of things ahead of time. Her mind was like a sponge, taking in everything she saw, read or heard and as a result she seemed to be picking up on things that no one else seemed to notice. She 'saw' things happen before they happened. It had been a more frequently thing when she was growing up, now it just happened a handful of times in a year. When it did happen though, the things she 'saw' weren't visions in the normal sense of the word. Most of them weren't visual at all, more like sudden flashes of comprehension that would strike her when she least expected them to.

Strangely Edward, was the exception to that rule. Whenever her intuition was trying to tell her something, anything, regarding her brother there would always be actual images involved. Not that she had seen many of those, just a few glimpses here and there. Some of them were lovely. She had seen herself dance at his wedding. She had seen him with multiple children; close in age and with similar physical features, but she had also seen vivid, dream-like images of her brother being tortured by a dark, toxic force; horrible, vicious and downright frightening images. Two different visions that seemed to represent two very different fates and she figured it would be one way or the other, hence the crossroad. She figured time was running up and that a decision would have to be made real soon.

That night in the hotel bar, she had decided to up the notch, by trying to push Bella into some sort of emotional revelation, but, as per usual, Isabella had been far too savvy to fall for that trick. She had agreed to one thing though, a wager of sort, or perhaps it was be better described as a challenge. "Well, Alice, you're right about many things, but you're way off about this," she had said and asked the bartender for a pen and paper. She then instructed Alice to put her predictions in writing while she herself wrote down some contra-predictions of her own. Once they were done and once they had managed to find something to use as envelopes, Bella had sealed them and handed them toAlice for safer keeping. Right there was perhaps the biggest challenge as far as Alice was concerned; to have Bella's prediction in her possession, but not being allowed to read it before New Years Eve.

"I'll know if you break the seal. It might be 'just chewing gum' but I'll know if you cheat! This is potent stuff; you won't be able to keep it to yourself."

To say that Alice had been itching find out what Bella had meant by 'potent stuff' was an understatement. She had not given in to the temptation though, mainly for two reasons; one, she had given Bella her word and two, something told her that timing would be of great importance in all of this, something told her that this letter was going to be the focal point that would decide the outcome of… well… everything, which brought her back to the dilemma at hand. To open, or not to open the envelope, that was the question. New Years was still a week away, but Bella herself had given not only permission, but a friggin direct order to go ahead and open it. Granted, she had been severely shook up at the time, but lucid and level-headed none the less. So, did this mean the timing was right? Or was it just a test? Was the universe testing her strength and dedication,to see if she had the power to remain true to her word?

No, Alice decided after a few more moments of thought. This wasn't about her; it wasn't even about Edward anymore. It was about her nephew and his unborn siblings. It was about giving Anthony a two-parent, loving and happy home to grow up in.

With one final, swift movement, she tore the envelope open. Carefully avoiding the chewing gum that held it together, she emptied its contents on the bed. As expected she found two sheets of vertically lined and neatly folded white hotel stationary; the same sheets of paper she had seen Bella drop into that envelope four weeks ago. Anything else would have been very surprising, considering no one touched one of her Valentino's or any other of her purses and gotaway with it!

She squinted in the dark. It took her eyes a few seconds to focus, because even with the light from her cell phone it was nearly too dark to read. The first thing she noticed was that only one of the two sheets of paper was addressed to her, the other had her brother's name written at the top left corner of it. She would read them both, she already knew that much, hell, even Bella must have known that much when she wrote this, but for now she focused on the one that had Alice spelled out in hastilyscribbled handwriting.

_Alice,_

_You annoying little pixie! You're peering over my shoulder as I write this, trying to sneak a peak even though you promised not to. I don't have much time, but I'm basically writing this because I predict I'll be needing your help with something, something important or I would have told you to shut the f*ck up about this maid of honor nonsense a long, long time a ago. _

_You say you predict wedding, babies and more babies in the future for your brother and me. You say an engagement is impending, you say I'll wear his ring before New Years Eve. A year ago I would have laughed you in your face and asked what clinic you escaped from. Don't get me wrong I still say you're nuts, but I have to admit you're right about one thing; your brother is a very virile man with an exceptionally healthy sperm count. That's all you're getting from me right now, well that and my contra-prediction, which is as follows; I predict Edward and I will be on non speaking terms again by the time the New Year rolls around. _

_This is where I need your help. I feel it would be a shame to waste another half a decade on miscommunication and mistrust, especially seeing as it appears as though one of those babies you've been going on and on about is already in the pipeline(Yes you were right, there I've said it!) He'll listen to you, I know he will. I'm not asking for you to speak on my behalf or anything like that. Your alliances should lie with your brother, that's the way family ties work, that's the way it should be. All I'm asking for is that you help me keep an open line of communication this time around. _

_I've prerecorded something for Edward, something I hope he will listen to even after he throws me out and wows never to speak with me again. He might not go to those extremes, but he will shut me out and he will close himself off for sure and when he does, I want you to tie him to a chair and play this recording to him. I'm kidding, obviously! Don't tie him down, he hates that. Just make sure he listens to the messages. Yes, messages, there are more than one. You'll need my cell phone or at least my SIM card for this. I'll make sure that when the time is right, you'll get access to them one way or another. My pin code is 1782. Find Seth Clearwater in my contact list; call him, he'll tell you what needs to be done._

_Love, _

_Bella._

_P.S. Keep an eye on your brother and step in if he needs help. He's been through so much in such a short period of time._

Huh? With shaking hands Alice lowered the sheet of paper down on the bed. She felt confused and puzzled and unsure of the exact nature of what her friend was asking of her. She knew that her brother had been hurt, but was only now just starting to see the damage done. Bella was someone she considered a friend though. Her instincts told her she was someone that could be trusted, that she wasn't out to hurt anyone on purpose. Did her instincts weight more than her brothers words? Well, technically her brother hadn't told her much of anything… yet. With that in mind Alice figured she owed it to everyone involved to iron out all the facts before she decided on what her action should be. That, of course, meant reading the second letter that was addressed to her brother.

_11/03_

_Edward,_

_your sister is peering over my shoulder as a write this, so I'll have to keep this short and to the point. I saw you handle snot, tears and dirty diapers today. You were struggling, and will probably struggle for a long, long time with this, but you didn't bolt in the other direction. That speaks volume about the man you're becoming. Therefore, let it be known that this day marks the day that I've decided that I will be sharing my wonderful, yet terrifying secret with you. I wasn't sure before, I wasn't sure when or if I would ever tell you but now…. Now I've given your sister permission to read this letter on New Years Eve, so if I haven't told you myself by that point, Alice will butt in and… well, I'm sure you get the picture. I guess you could say I've given myself a deadline that I can't escape or take back._

_This, of course means, that by the time you read this you'll know what secret I'm talking about, one way or another. You'll know that I've lied to you and kept something of utter most importance from you. That I have once again let you down by failing to open and honest with you. I really don't deserve your trust or your forgiveness and I won't ask for either of those things. _

_I'll ask one thing, though, please don't take this out on those who love you the most. You know how I grew up, you know I envy you for your loud and rowdy family. I think I must have told you this a million times already, but they are truly great. Please don't lose sight of that, and please promise me you'll give Anthony the unconditional love and the sort of upbringing he needs and deserves. That little boy should be your first priority, everything else is secondary. _

_I hope that some day you'll come to understand the unique blessing that each and every child is-no matter how they were conceived or whichever relationship they resulted from._

_Your sister has predicted wedding, babies and more babies in the near future for us. I don't see how that is possible, but I do hope you will end up with all of those things eventually; kids and a happy, healthy relationship with someone who truly deserves your love._

_Having grown up as a lonely child myself, I can tell you that being blessed with a siblings to love and play with is one of the greatest gifts you can give a child. That being said, I hope that some day we can find a way for us to be civil towards one another, for the sake of the children, if nothing else…_

_Yours always,_

_Bella_

_P.S. I'm not trying to turn Alice against you. I just think we should have try and keep an open line of communication and confiding in Alice seemed like the easiest way to achieve that. I haven't told her anything too personal, she knows very little about what's really going on. She's just a small pawn in this game of emotional chess that we've got going on. Please remember that she is still your sister, your ally and nothing will pry her away from your side._

Huh? Again, Alice felt had expected an apology, or some sort of explanation at the very least. This letter contained neither, but then again it's hard to apologize for or explain your wrongdoings weeks in advance. Boy, this was messed up. She felt like a pawn alright, but without a clue as to what game she was being used in.

What to do? What to do? She could either tell her brother what she had learned or she could follow Bella's instructions and place that phone call. It was a no brainier. She was the curious type. The very, very curious type. Always seeking answers and validation. Bella knew this. Bella counted on this. Damn, she hated to be this predictable, but she wanted a chance to get to know her new nice or nephew. She couldn't risk her brother screwing this up… It was a no brainier, really…

.

xXxXxXx

_._

_You've reached the inbox of me, Seth. I'm afraid I'm a little busy at the moment, but leave a message after the beepy thingy and I'll try to call you back… Unless of course I don't feel like speaking to you, or I'm too lazy to call you back, but you can leave a message anyway._

_*Beep*_

_Hi, this is Alice, Alice Cullen. I'm not sure if you remember, but we've met a few times. You work with Bella, who is a childhood friend of mine. You're suppose to be expecting my call from what I understand. I've been told you have information for me…. uhm, instructions, maybe…. I'm sorry, I'm rambling. It's the middle of the night and I-…_

_*Beep*_

_You've reached the inbox of me, Seth. I'm afraid I'm a little busy at the moment, but leave a message after the beepy thingy and I'll try to call you back… Unless of course I don't feel like speaking to you, or I'm too lazy to call you back, but you can leave a message anyway._

_*Beep*_

_This is Alice again. The machine cut me off before I was done. There is one more thing I think you should know. There has been an accident, a collapsing building. It's a long story, but seeing as you work with Bella, you should probably know that she is in hospital. It looks like everything will be alright, but they are keeping her for observation. Call me back and I'll tell you more about it._

_*Beep*_

_._

xXxXxXx

.

Jasper's eyes opened a sliver to see Alice sitting up in bed. He rolled over onto his back, rubbing his face against the soft pillow and muttering, "Alice, what are you doing? Why aren't you sleeping?"

"I'm checking my phone for messages," she replied in a whisper.

"It's four a clock in the morning, and that's not even your phone," he grumbled, checking the time on his watch sitting on the nightstand.

"Fine, I was checking mine AND Bella's phone for messages."

"Can't that wait until tomorrow?"

"Sure, it's just that technically it is tomorrow already. I woke up with a feeling that there might be updates."

"Right, I almost forgot…" hefrowned and rubbed his face with his hands wearily. "Have you heard anything?"

"No, no news yet. Last I heard Bella was sleeping and everything was under control."

"Let's hope no news is good news then. What about you Alice? Have you gotten any sleep at all?"

"Of course I have," she insisted, but her body language seemed to be telling a different story, because Jasper said nothing, he just watched and waited for her to crack, which of course, she did after half a minute or so.

"Fine," she relented, sighing in mock exasperation. "I've slept some… Ugh, alright. I haven't slept much at all. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"Alice, Alice, I love you, even when you try to deceive me." He patted her head like she was a pet when she glared at him.

"I was going to apologize for waking you, but I take it back. I'm not sorry at all."

"You don't have to apologize for something you didn't do. It was Tony...AGAIN." Jasper revealed, his eyes drifting to the toddler sound asleep in a bundle of blankets on the bed between them. "When he isn't snoring in my ear, he is digging his little toes into my ribcage or smacking me in the face with his flailing arms."

"Aww, that's because he has taken a liking to you," Alice mused, with a smirk. "He was inconsolable when Esme tried to put him to bed, but you calmed him 're a natural. You're a lot better with kids than you think you are."

"Don't get any ideas," Jasper looked somewhat horrified, but also plenty amused. "I'm double wrapping it from now on."

"Pff, you want kids just as much as I do."

"Sure, but I don't want as many as you do and I don't want them just yet."

"Time is such a precious thing to waste. We could have lost family members last night, you realize that right?"

"Yes, I know."

"They were really, really lucky they didn't end up crushed underneath all that snow and glass."

Jasper leaned over the sleeping boy and reached out to cup her cheek. "Not just that, if you hadn't been level-headed enough to demand that Emmett shut off the gas and electricity before going in, there is not telling what could have happened."

"Don't go making me some kind of hero. Something really terrible happened to someone really close to me. I should have seen it coming, God knows there were plenty of signs, but I didn't. The only warning I got were these vague flashes of flames, something resembling an explosion-like fire, that's all."

"That's plenty enough. Like I said, there is not telling what could have happened if you hadn't stopped him. One ambulance might not have been enough, you know."

"I still feel inadequate, like I should have been able to do more, like I should be doing more, like I should be there at the hospital right now."

"Why? I don't see what good it would do, not when it's four o'clock in the morning and everyone is asleep anyway. They need their rest."

"Bella is asleep for sure. Edward is more like me. He's awake and restless, I can feel it. I don't think it's good for him to have too much time to replay all his blunders at the moment."

Jasper sighed, but nodded like he understood. "What about the kid? We're not even married yet and you're already dumping all the responsibilities on me," he joked, gesturing towards the little boy, sprawled out in the middle of the bed.

"He should be asleep for another hour or two."

"And after that? I'm not changing any diapers, just so you know!"

"I'm sure you'll figure something out," Alice replied patting his shoulder as she slipped out of the bed. "And if not, prepare for a lot of noise," she winked at him as she took off for the bathroom.

.

…oOoOoOoOOOo

.

**AN:**

Brasklapp, (Brask note)

The expression comes from the Swedish bishop, Hans Brask, who was a member of the council of the realm in 1517. One of the things that the council decided upon was the removal of another bishop, Gustav Trolle. Brask was opposed to this decision, but eventually put his mark and wrote his name on the official document. However, it is said that Brask secretly placed a note (=lapp) saying "To this I am forced and compelled" under his seal before he signed a document.

Three years later, at the trials that preceded Stockholm's bloodbad (the Bloodbath of Stockholm), it is said that Brask presented his note and escaped the death sentence. Basically, he saved his neck with a hidden note that revealed his true feelings on a particular matter, at a particular time.

Now as for the title… The letters and recordings mentioned in this chapter are Bella's Brask notes. She did not want to repeat her old mistakes, but felt she had no other option at the time. This is her way of acknowledging that allthough her reasoning is somewhat flawed, her intentions have a certain amount of good to them, which is something she hopes that the messages she has recorded will show.

Stay tuned in other words…


	42. Chapter 41 - Uncertainties

Bella struggled to pry her eyes open. She was met with bright lights and quickly shut them again. She groaned and tried again only to find an unfamiliar male face smiling down at her.

The face began talking, "Good, you're awake, Ms. Swan! I was just about to check your vitals and change your I.V. bag."

"Who… Who are you?" she croaked. Orderly? Nurse? Doctor? She had already gathered she was in a hospital room from the white walls and the robotic beeps of the medical equipment. It made sense, seeing as the last thing she remembered was being lifted into an ambulance.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm nurse Lee," came the reply. "You're at Forks General Hospital in the ICU. I'd offer to shake your hand, but I need to take care of this first," the nurse explained, holding up what must be a fresh bag of intravenous fluids.

Huh? ICU? High tech medical equipment and I.V bags? It didn't quite add up.

Just then a second person appeared at her bedside. "My, my, look who's awake and talking to us."

She was blonde. She was tall. She had a chest that would make any Hollywood starlet green with envy. Bella struggled for a moment to identify her, before realizing that it was none other than Rosalie Hale…err McCarthy… or was it Cullen?

Bella frowned, her thoughts felt muddled and slow. How long had she been unconscious? She looked around but found no clock. The light from the window told her it was daytime, though she wasn't sure what time exactly, or even which day.

"How are you feeling?" Rosalie asked.

"Like shit," she replied, her mouth felt like it was full of cotton. "What happened? Why am I in the ICU?"

Rosalie was about to answer, but was interrupted by the nurse. "How much do you remember?" he asked, adjusting the speed of the drip and noting it down carefully on his clipboard.

"Not much," Bella admitted, furrowing her brows. "Hurting my shoulder, seeing my arm hanging limp at an odd angle, coming here in an ambulance." Her eyes went to Rosalie. "My shoulder was dislocated, but Dr. Cullen reset it, right? Or did I dream that part?"

"No, that really happened. Emmett told me, he helped Carlisle pop your shoulder back into place."

"Oh," Bella slowly moved her arm ever so slightly and flinched. "It still hurts like a fu-… It hurts a lot, but I guess they got it right because it seems to be in working order," she concluded, wiggling her fingers. It was painful, but it was endurable. "Remind me to thank them later," she added, flexing her arm again, trying to work out the stiffness.

She took a moment to make sure nothing else was hurting. Her stomach felt funny, nothurling chunks funny necessarily, but she felt a little bloated and uncomfortable. She tried moving to lie sideways, but it was difficult because of all of the wires and devices that had been hooked up to her body. Apart from that, her limbs felt heavy, and her eyes and throat were sore, but luckily her head seemed to be intact, a fact for which Bella was extremely grateful.

"How long have I been out?" she asked,hoping to bring her foggy and slow-moving thoughts up to speed. An out of whack shoulder wasn't typically something that would land you in the ICU. There had to be more… but more of what? "My memory is a bit hazy, but I'm pretty sure I didn't hit my head."

"Your head is fine and you've only been here overnight," nurse Lee answered, reaching for her uninjured arm, reattaching a clothespin-like sensor that seemed to have slipped off the tip of her index finger.

His gaze turned to one of the monitors briefly and then scribbled something on his clipboard again, most likely taking notes of her pulse and blood pressure. At that thought, Bella was suddenly struck by a strong sense of deja vu. Dr. Cullen had been checking her pulse several times while they had waited for the ambulance and the paramedics to arrive. She remembered him looking and sounding concerned at the time… Why? Shock? Blood loss? Broken limbs? There was something she had forgotten, something she was missing, a minor detail that nagged her at the edge of her mind.

"Just tell me one thing, why am I in the ICU?" she insisted, trying to sound rational and calm. She was only partly successful as she had to struggle to suppress a yawn.

"Try and relax. You just woke up; the rest will come to you in time. That is really all I can tell you at the moment."

Relax! Easier said than done. All the confusion was starting to overwhelm her. She was getting no answers and it waseating away at her brain. "Rosalie, help me out. Tell me what happened; tell me what's going on? Why do I feel like I've been run over by a truck?!"

Rosalie narrowed her eyes and stepped closer to the bed. "You sure you want to hear this from me? Wouldn't you rather wait for your doctor to get here? …or Edward at the very least? He shou-…"

"Edward is here?" Bella interrupted, feeling the anxiety rise in her chest. "Is he okay? Was he injured too?"

"He's fine, no need to worry about him. He's been here all night. I offered to sit with you, so that he could go down to the cafeteria and grab something to eat. Jasper, Emmett and the boys are with him. We brought Anthony with us when we came here. The little guy needed to see his daddy."

"Anthony…." Ugh, there was that nagging feeling again. "Anthony needs his daddy."

"Yeah, he's been through a lot. Do you remember your car going off the road?"

"Uhm," she thought about it for a second and then gave an affirmative nod. "It slid off the road like a bar of soap, but that must have been the day before yesterday, or something… ages ago, before we came to Forks, when I still thought I'd make it to the airport… Damn ice, damn white, wet, cold mess!" She yawned again and put her head down on her pillow.

"Damn white, wet, cold mess indeed. Do you remember the amount of snow the boys had to shovel to clear the driveway?"

"Not really, no." She furrowed her forehead, staring at Rosalie. "There is something about the snow… but I can't seem to remember. Why can't I remember? And why am I so tired? What is-…"

"Try and relax! You had yourself a helluva night, but you're awake now and everything else will sort itself out with time," nurse Lee cut in before she could finish and then in nearly the same breath he moved on to another subject entirely. "How is your breathing, Ms. Swan? Your voice sounds a bit hoarse. Are youfeeling any shortness of breathor tightness in your chest?"

"No, why would you ask that?" Bella questioned, thoroughly confused. "My breathing is perfectly fine. My throat is a bit dry, that's all," she added. "Wait, did I have an oxygen mask on at some point? In the ambulance maybe?"

"Possibly. They often crank up the oxygen in the ambulance on the way to hospital, so that wouldn't surprise me," the nurse verified, checking his notes. "If you like, I can get you some water when we're done here, but first, a few more questions. Do you feel cold or light-headed? Any numbness to your hands and feet?"

"None…or well my feet are cold, but they are always cold…" Bella trailed off as a memory hit her. "Hey, Rose I remember us giving Anthony and Elliott a bath. You 'accidently' emptied a bucket of water over me. It was cold, well not the water, but I remember my clothes being all wet and freezing cold later on."

She could tell by Rose reaction that she was spot on, especially with the 'accident' part.

"That was… well that was your own fault. You weren't supposed to go outside in those clothes. That was never part of the plan," Rosaliereasoned apologetically, before asking "Do you remember going outside? Do you remember going to the pool house with Edward?"

Her expression was cautious, but also calm, waiting. Waiting for what? Here questions were obviously leading to something, and Bella was growing frustrated.

"Um…vaguely… we went there to talk, in private, I think."

"Do you remember what you talked about?"

"The weather, maybe?" Bella suggested, not really having the first idea. "Anthony, probably?" It was a safe bet. The little boy was more often than seldom the centre of conversation. Not the sort of conversation that required privacy, thought. Another thought crossed her mind. "I think… no, I'm pretty sure that Edward was screaming mad at me."

"And…" Rosalie prodded when she didn't continue.

"And what?!" she snapped, feeling agitated beyond reason. "What part of 'screaming mad' don't you get? He was upset alright, upset at me for leaving, upset at me for not telling him stuff, upset at me for not telling him about the baby." Her outburst was followed by a sharp intake of breath as the meaning of her own words hit her.

"The baby!" Her hands went immediately to her abdomen as she realized the one small detail her brain had omitted."OMG the baby… and the snow…. and the roof!" she gasped as more realizations followed in rapid succession.

Her heart was pounding, her head was spinning, and her eyes were watering.

"Ms. Swan, don't forget to breathe!" the nurse instructed, but his voice seemed to be coming from far away. All she could hear was the furious rush of blood in her head and the beeping from the monitors beside her bed going haywire

Someone was hovering over her. Rosalie… "Bella, don't go passing out on me now. Edward will kill me if he comes back and finds you like this. Your baby needs you to stay calm!"

"My baby…. Is my baby alright?" She struggled to a sitting position, but the I.V. in her arm got in the way.

A firm but gentle hand pushed her back onto the bed. "Your friend is right, you need to stay calm."

"I need to know… I can't…. I.."

"What you need is to keep your blood pressure down. Don't pull the I,V. out because it will only do more harm than good."

Even in her panicked state she knew the truth in those words. She choked back a sob and forced herself to take a deep breath.

"That's better. I'll get Dr. Barnett for you. He'll answer all your questions, but first lean back, close your eyes and show me you can take nice slow breaths."

"There is still a baby in there." Rose gripped her hand, the one that had been pulling at the I.V. cord. "Did you hear me, Bella? There is still a baby in there. Edward told me they let him listen to the fetal heartbeats."

"Fetal heartbeats?" Bella heard herself parrot back ina breathless whisper.

"Yes, he said they were crazy fast ones," Rosalie smiled. "He also said they were a bit irregular, but don't worry, I remember Elliott's being that way too before he was born and he turned out just fine."

"Is that normal?" Bella asked, turning to nurse Lee in hope of reassurance and comfort.

"A fetus's heart beats twice as fast as a grown ups heart."

"But it shouldn't be beating irregularly, should it?"

"Well, it's not the norm, but it's not totally unheard of either. Now close your eyes and keep breathing. I'm going to step out for a sec and get that doctor for you, okay?"

A dozen responses whirled in her muddled mind, but one thought took precedence over all the others - a beating heart. A steady heartbeat or an irregular, fast one didn't matter. All that mattered was the fact that there was in fact still a heartbeat.

…

Ironically Bella fell asleep again the minute her own pulse slowed its panicked, slightly erratic beat. The next time she woke someone else, someone who wasn't Rosalie, was holding her hand.

Esme.

She opened her eyes to find Edward's mother sitting in the plastic chair next to her bed. Bella had no idea how much time had passed. The room was darker, but her mind was only marginally clearer. Was it still the same day? Hours? Days? A whole week could have passed for all she knew.

"What time is it?" She didn't realize she had asked the question out loud until she saw Esme jump in her seat and snap to attention. "Isabella!" she exclaimed. "You startled me, but I'm glad to see you awake."

"S'ry, didn't mean to scare you." Her throat was raspy from disuse.

"Oh, it's all right. You just caught me off guard. I guess I was spacing out." Esme said with a gentle smile, as she got out of her chair to press the nurse call button. "But enough about me. How are you feeling? How's the shoulder?"

How was she feeling? Bella didn't know, she felt fine, but was she really? Her hand, the one that wasn't hooked up to any wires, instinctively went to her belly. One thing was for sure; her shoulder was the least of her worries.

Esme was watching her intently, waiting for an answer no doubt. When none came she said, "It's half past two in the afternoon. They told us the first twenty-four hours would be critical. They were worried, initially, that the trauma and the impact from your fall would cause contractions ora miscarriage, but thankfully those scenarios are looking less and less likely with every passing hour. So far things are looking real good."

"I…really? Things are looking good?" Bella felt relief wash over her. "Tell me more," she insisted, eagerly.

"I would, but I really don't know anything more at this point. I'm sorry. You have no idea how sorry I am, about this," her voice grew thick and full of choked emotion. "Oh, my gosh, I'm getting all emotional on you. I promised I wouldn't…. I'm not supposed to say or do anything that could upset you. Doctor's order."

"We could try and talk about something else," Bella offered, even though every fiber of her being wanted to know how the baby was doing. "How is the rest of the family? How is Anthony?" she inquired instead, giving Edward's mother a tiny smile.

"We're fine," Esme assured her, returning the smile with a shaky one of her own. "Tony is fine, he's better than fine, he's awesome. Some anxiety, of course, but that's only to be expected, given all the new faces and changes around him."

Bella grimaced, picturing Anthony throwing tantrums over getting dressed and fed by someone he wasn't chummy with. "I bet he's been a handful."

"It's okay, dear. No one is getting much rest, that's for sure, but they don't call it the terrible twos for nothing," Esme chuckled.

"So everyone is doing okay?" She couldn't bring herself to ask the question she really wanted to ask.

Edward… Where was he? Rosalie had already assured her he was fine, but he was still nowhere to be found... still missing in action. Was he truly okay or were they dancing around the subject to try and keep her from worrying about it, about him? Didn't they realize that she'd worry a lot less if they would just tell her what was going on.

Esme's voice broke through her muddled thoughts. "Everyone is fine, dear. Everyone, including Edward," she reassured her, as if reading her mind. "He had some cuts that needed to be cleaned and bandaged. That's all though, no broken bones, no internal injuries, just a large bump on his forehead and a slight concussion."

"Oh….alright…" But where was he? She didn't care that he was upset with her—she just wanted to see for herself that he was doing okay. Another possibility dawned on her. Could he be staying away on purpose?

Once again Edward's mother seemed to sense where her thoughts were at. "We talked him into taking a nap. Carlisle's is letting him use his office. Actually," she said, checking her watch. "I think he set his alarm at three o'clock, so he should be back here any minute now."

Just then someone knocked on the door. "Ah, there he is," Esme announced, but she spoke too quickly, because in walked a nurse.

It was not the same nurse as before, this one was a brassy haired blonde, in her late thirties with a little too much makeup and not quite enough fabric in her uniform to cover her assets in an appropriate manner. When she spoke though, her words were nothing but kind and compassionate.

"It probably doesn't feel like it right now, but you have been very lucky, Ms. Swan," she told Bella, inspecting the bandage on her arm. "Pregnancies can be delicate things as it is. Escaping a collapsing building with barely a scratch is nothing less than a miracle. And I heard from Carli-… Dr. Cullen, I mean," her eyes flickered briefly to Esme, before returning to Bella. "I heard about your car accident the other day. You've been very lucky, I'm telling you."

"Lucky is an understatement," Bella agreed, feeling her eyes grow moist as another memory came rushing back to her. She remembered watching the roof cave, realizing it would come crashing down on them. She remembered thinking she had drawn her last breath. She remembered thinking they would all die, all three of them.

To still be alive and breathing way beyond just 'lucky' and to still be pregnant was indeed a miracle.

Esme, however didn't seem to like to hear that kind of talk.

"Have you paged Dr. Barnett? " she interjected, turning to the nurse. "There are lots of questions that need to be answered and I'm sure Isabella would prefer to have it all explained to her by her doctor."

"Of course. I was given strict orders from Carl-… from Dr. Cullen, to page both him and Dr. Barnett the minute Ms. Sw-…."

"Then, how about you go do that, Irina" Esme huffed, rapping her nails against the armrest.

Blimey… Edward had mentioned, once or twice, that Alice and Esme were a lot alike. Bella could see it now, the similarities. Being assertive bordering on pushy was apparently a family trait.

"I'll get right to it," the nurse, who's name apparently was Irina, laughed, thankfully not the least bit intimidated by the other woman.

"Don't worry, Esme and I both cuddle babies in the NICU every other week. We know each other real well," she winked at Bella as she reached for the chart at the foot of the bed.

"Small town," Esme sighed and shook her head in a 'you know how it is' way... "Everyone knows everything about everyone."

"You say that like it is a bad thing," Irina remarked with a smirk. "In a bigger town, you'd need a bigger hospital which in turn would mean more women - patients and nurses- flirting their asses off with every single one of our lovely doctors."

Esme looked like she wanted to snap back with something colorful or damn right snarky, but she didn't. Instead she merely rolled her eyes and said, "With every one of our lovely, SINGLE, doctors, you mean. Speaking of lovely doctors who are single, I believe you were about to summon Dr. Barnett."

Bella didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but when it came down to it, she was actually too tired to do neither. Her eyelids were feeling heavy again. Damn, was it normal to grow tired this quickly? Should she be alarmed?

"Ah, didn't you hear? Andy is back with his old girlfriend, the one with the crazy cats. Gotta keep up with the hospital gossip. I'm off now, but don't hesitate to push the button if you need anything," nurse Irina said, throwing a wave over her shoulder as she headed out the room.

The door slammed shut and they were alone again.

"Sorry about that!" Esme was shaking her head. "I swear she's a genuinely nice person and a competent nurse. She just loves the sound of her own voice a little too much. And don't get me started on the amount of makeup that woman wear…." she blabbered on for a while without realizing he was talking more or less to herself.

Staying awake was becoming a battle that it appeared Bella couldn't win. Her surroundings were fading into a blur as exhaustion once again set in. "Is it three o'clock yet?" she asked weakly, struggling to keep her eyes open, even though it was no use. She was already a goner.

"Soon…Don't worry, I'll sit with you," Esme promised, patting her hand. "Get some rest, Isabella. I'll wake you when they get here."

Despite desperately wanting to stay awake, within seconds she was once again fast asleep.

Someone said something and Bella hummed reflexively in response, even though she had absolutely no idea of what the words had been said.

"Isabella?" the voice repeated and this time she her eyes fluttering open.

A big chunk of time seemed to have passed again. The light from the window had faded into nothingness; indicating that the afternoon was coming to a close.

"Ed-edward?" she croaked, even though she already knew the other person in the room wasn't him.

"I'm afraid not." Dr. Cullen replied, moving into her line of vision, "It's great for my ego though that you mistake me for someone half my age," he joked, but it was clear by his body language that he was in full doctor mode. The white coat and the stethoscope dangling around his neck were tale-tell signs that he was on in fact on duty. Hopefully that meant that Bella would get some answers… finally…

There was so much she wanted to ask and all the health-related concerns should probably be addressed first. However, there was one question that overpowered everything else.

"Wh-er's…?" she wasn't surprised that her voice sounded hoarse and faint. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Where is he? He's avoiding me, isn't he?"

"Who? Edward?"

"Yes, please tell me the truth."

Rather than answering straight away, Carlisle poured a glass of water and carefully moved it toward her face.

"Here, drink this." He conjured a bendable straw in the glass and waited patiently while she drank thirstily of the water.

When she indicated that she was finished, he put the glass back on the table and leaned forward again.

"At the risk of sounding like an old fart, stuck in a stereotypical husband-wife relationship, sometimes when a man avoids his lady love or partner, it's not meant as a statement of any kind, sometimes he just needs time and space to work through things in his mind and heart before he's ready to talk about it with anyone."

"Yes, but that doesn't sound like Edward at all," Bella looked up at the ceiling to try and keep her emotions in check, taking a few deep breaths. "I hurt him. I never meant to, but I did and now he can't even stand being in the same room as me."

"I can assure you that if he is, in fact, avoiding you on purpose, it's not for lack of care. He sat by your bedside all night, holding on to your hand as if his life depended on it."

"I suppose it's better this way," Bella sniveled, few wayward tears making their way down her cheek. Damn hormones! "Lately it seems as though we can't be in the same room together without jumping at each other's throats."

"The first step to breaking a pattern is recognizing it. Pausing and thinking before acting and reacting is a big step for Edward.

"If that's what he's doing… I'm still not convinced."

"Look, I'll tell him you've been asking for him. I'll tell him his absence is causing more stress than what is good for you," Carlisle offered sounding almost apologetically. "That's all I can do at the moment. I really don't think I should be taking sides in this."

"No, of course not. Tell him I miss him, but if he doesn't want to see me, let it go." Squaring her shoulders, she wiped the wetness from her face with the back of her hand. "Forcing him won't do any good. I just need to know that he's okay; him AND the baby."

"That's why I'm here, to answer your questions." Carlisle patted her hand and began to rise from his stool. "But first, let me raise the bed for you, so that we can have this conversation eye to eye."

"Uh-uh, so it's that kind of conversation, eh?" Bella asked warily, but nodded for him to go ahead and shift the bed into a more upright and comfortable position for her.

"Sorry to be the bringer of doom and gloom. It's not all bad though, I promise. Before I get started, you should know I'm not your attending physician. However, both Edward and Dr. Barnett have agreed to let me consult on your case. I understand if you rather wait for Dr. Barnett to get here before we continue this discussion."

"Don't be silly. It feels like I've waited hours already. I need to know… no, I HAVE to know what's going on!"

"Aright, I'll tell you everything I know. Just remember to stay calm," Carlisle warned, pulling off his glasses and rubbing his eyes. "We had a bit of a scare last night. Your blood pressure spiked, which wasn't all that surprising, considering the circumstances. Unfortunately though, stress on you means stress on the baby. The fetal heart rate was a little higher than what's considered healthy."

He held up his hand to stop her from interrupting before he had got it all out.

"You were a little dehydrated, so we've been pumping lots of liquids and nutrients into you. You've also been given a pregnancy safe muscle relaxant and a mild sedative. That's why you've been drifting in and out of sleep all day long. It seems to have done the trick because both yours and the baby's vitals are looking much more stable now than just a few hours ago."

"Does that mean the heart rate is back to normal? That the baby is okay?"

"It means we're getting there. Aside from being a bit on the fast side, the fetal heart beats were also a bit irregular. Extra beats were detected. It's a condition we call atrial ectopic beats. It doesn't necessarily have to effect or harm the fetus in any way. In most cases this issue tends to resolve on its own without treatment. It's extremely rare that it's anything to be concerned about."

"How rare?" she asked in a quiet, small voice, fear seeping through her veins.

"I've made some phone calls, and spoken to a few people specialised in fetal cardiology. Statistically only one or two percentage of the cases are due to an underlying structural heart disease or cardiac tumor."

"Is there a test you can takeor is it a wait and see situation?"

"You'll be on bed rest for a while, during which time your blood pressure and the fetal heart rate will be monitored closely. Then after two weeks, if the condition still persists, the next step will be a fetal echocardiogram, which is basically an ultrasound scan of the baby's heart."

"Why don't do that ultrasound thing straight away? Isn't it better to knowwhat we're dealing with up front?"

"Honestly, getting your blood pressure stabilized is of higher priority at the moment. Have your obstetrician explained the risks involved with high blood pressure during pregnancy?"

"I know about preeclampsia. I know that it is a serious condition, which is why I need to have my blood pressure and urine checked regularly."

"That's correct, yes. However, with no swelling extremities and no protein in your urine, it's not something you have to worry about right this very moment." He paused offering a smile. "See I told you, it's not all bad news. Now in order to decide on a suitable course of treatment for you, we would like to consult with your regular OB, with your permission, of course."

"Of course, I have her contact information stored in my phone…" she raised herself up onto her arms and began scanning her surroundingsfor any clues as to where her phone might be. Then she remembered, "I believe Alice has my phone…or possibly Edward."

"That's okay. I wasn't expecting you to rattle that information off the top of your head anyway. We'll get to it in due time." He motioned for her to lean back and get comfortable on the bed again and then waited until he had her full attention before continuing. "Now, aside from preeclampsia, there are other potential risks we need to look out for."

"I've been told that a high bp can cause less blood to flow through the placenta, which from what I understand can mean that less oxygen and fewer nutrients are delivered to the baby."

"Yes, and this increases the risk for a number of pregnancy complications, including intrauterine growth restriction, preterm birth, placental abruption, and stillbirth."

"And with my baby already being on the small side…" she trailed off,not wishing to vocally continue on that train of thought for the moment.

"We are talking worst case scenarios here." Dr. Cullen leaned forward on his chairand rested his elbows on his knees. "Many pregnant women with high blood pressure goon to have perfectly healthy babies. Remember, a positive outlook can go a long way. The ultrasound scan Dr. Barnett has planned for tomorrow should tell us more."

"Tomorrow?"

"Yes, tomorrow. While we don't have one of those fancy 3D/4D ultrasound facilities here in Forks, it just so happens that one of the most experienced sonographer in the whole Seattle area lives in Port Angeles. She'll be here first thing tomorrow morning. You know what they say, if you can't go to the mountain…"

"…improvise."

"I was going to say, 'bring the mountain to you', but improvise works too. I'll do anything to ensure you get the best possible care while you're here. That being said, I think I've covered everything that needs to be covered today,unless you have any other questions for me?

"I… I feel like I should have a ton of questions, but at the momentI can't seem to … It's just overwhelming and… all…I seem…. to…do…is…cry…." Here we go again…. She closed her eyes and took a breath, trying to get a grip on her emotions.

"It's not a weakness Isabella. If you weren't showing any emotion I'd be worried about you."

"I HATE crying," Bella sobbed. "This is so embarrassing. I'm usually more in control."

"Let me take your mind off it then. Maybe I can even give you something else to think about. Something that is completely irrelevant to your health, but perhaps very much relevant to your peace of mind."

"What would that be…?" she found herself asking, even though she wasn't really sure that she could handle much more of anything , especially anything that would cause her to get even more emotional than she already was.

"Well for starters, Jasper has managed to track down his estranged cousin."

"Peter?"

"Yes, he's currently island hopping in Thailand. They have managed to exchange a few text messages, but he is in an area with really bad reception. Peter will try and get a call trough as soon as he reaches Bangkok, but that will take another day or two from what I understand." He rubbed his hands together in acalculating way. "So that gives you plenty of time to write down whatever questions for Pete that you want to pass on to Jasper.

"Oh… Not at all what I expected, but this is great, I guess." She pulled a shaky hand throughher hair and of course it got stuck. At least it was distraction. "…wait, you said for starters. There is more?"

"Ah well…. I'm not sure who contacted who, but from what I've gathered Alice has spoken with your co-worker, Clearwater is it? "

"Seth Clearwater, yes. Actually I left instructions for Alice, specifically asking her to contact him."

"That's good. I was a bit worried how you'd react to that part. Alice tend to meddle in things that are not her business. So anyway, Clearwater is on a plane on his way here right now. He too will be here first thing tomorrow morning."

"What? But…" Her mind was definitely distracted now. "The holidays…Christmas... his family…Why would he drop everything and just…? Why?"

…..

* * *

_**AN: sorry it took me so long to get this out. My computer has crashed. I think the Video Card is dead. If I'm right the good news is I shouldn't have to lose any data. The bad news... I've never changed a video card before and I'm not sure I can do it myself. I might have to send it away to get it fixed or buy an entire new computer.** _


	43. Chapter 42 - Voice of reason

"Here you go," Alice said handing a bottle of water to Edward before sitting down beside him.

"Thanks," he mumbled in reply without really looking up from his stare at the floor– it seemed like the best way to avoid any conversation from developing. The last thing he needed was one more round of the dreaded 'How're you holding up?' questions."

Alice, of course, didn't take the hint. "So, you still haven't spoken to her, have you?" she asked, nudging his leg with her knee.

"Hmmm," he hummed noncommittally. There was noneed to ask who she was referring to.

"I heard from mom that she's been asking for you again."

"Seriously Alice, give it a rest," Edward sighed and checked his watch. "It is Christmas eve and almost dinner time. Why are you still here?"

"Uh, we drew straws. I lost," she deadpanned, but then her expression sobered. "No, I volunteered, actually. I figured someone should keep you company until dad gets off his shift."

"I don't need babysitting." He shot her a dark glare, which she didn't see, because she appeared to be busy looking for something in her handbag.

"I mean it. Go home Alice!"

"You know you're not getting rid of me that easily, right?" she commented and then dug out a suspicious looking envelope from her handbag, waving it in his face. "I've been trying to get you alone all day. Now that I have you cornered I'm not letting you go until you've listened to me, because I've got something I want to show you, something that I think you should read."

So much for avoiding conversation… "I take it this is what you've been nagging me about all day, right?" he asked, with an exasperated groan.

"I don't nag, I forcefully encourage or suggest with authority... but I don't nag... much. Now here, read this! You can thank me later," she said shoving two sheets of neatly folded papers into his hands.

"I've told you before and I'll tell you again; I don't want to do this now. Can't it wait until tomorrow?" he heard himself whine, although he already knew it was a losing battle. The truth was that he hadn't slept more than three or four hours in the past seventy-four and it was beginning to take its toll on him.

"No, it can't wait. It should have been dealt with hours ago, just like you should have manned up and spoken with Bella hours ago. This has already gone on for too long. Don't think I don't see what you're doing. You're avoiding contact with her at all cost. What are you so afraid of?!"

"I'm not avoiding her," Edward's voice rose as he rushed to defend himself. "I'm just taking a breather, hospital rooms are kind of suffocating, besides I sat with her all night and most of the morning, too."

"I know you did." Alice said with an impatient wave of her hand. "Honestly, I doubt anything or anyone could have pried you away from her bedside those first ten-plus hours."

"During which time I got exactly two minutes of sleep, so don't mess with me, alright!"

"Fine, but you can't convince me that it's a total coincidence that you haven't set foot inside her room one single time since she woke up and started having lucid moments. You're SO avoiding her."

"I AM not," he protested, though he knew she had a point. "Listen, don't think I don't care about her, because I do. I care about her a great deal …"

'Love her is more like it,' his inner voice taunted. He shook it off.

"As much as I want to be at her side, my blood still boils when I think about what she did; the lies and the ridiculous cover ups… There is simply too much anger, too much unresolved tension. ..Trust me, it's in everyone's best interest that I stay away from her for the time being."

"I don't mean to be harsh, but I think it's time for you to be the bigger person and realize that you made a lot of mistakes here too. You can't leave her hanging like this. Not knowing what's going on is probably more stressful than anything else."

"Gee, nice one Alice. Guilt trip me, why don't you! Because the stress she's under is entirely my fault." He couldn't resist the childish impulse to flick her forehead.

"Ow," she said, rubbing the spot he hit. "I didn't say it was all your fault, I just said she isn't the only one that has made mistakes."

"Fine, but I don't see how this is any of your business," he huffed, his energy level was almost nil at this point. Arguing with a stubborn Alice could be exhausting on a good day and this was definitely not a good day. "Besides, I don't see how any letter, or whatever the hell it is that you're trying to get me to read, would make me see things differently."

He smoothed out the sheets of papers, and glanced at the first line of words. "This isn't even meant for me. It says 'Alice' at the top of the page."

"I know what it says, it says 'Alice, you annoying little pixie! You're peering over my shoulder as I write this'," she recited from her memory, without skipping a beat. "Look at the handwriting Edward, look at the date. Everything is pretty self explanatory, all you have to do is keep reading."

"I fail to see how anything that Bella wrote weeks ago have any bearing on what's going on right now."

"Just keep going, or would you rather have me read it aloud for you?"

"No, thank you," he grumbled. "I'll do it, but only to get you off my back."

And read he did. He began skimming the first few paragraphs, but as the words started to filter into his mind, he realised he had to go back and read trough it allagain,more closely this time.

.

….

.

"So, what do you think?"

Edward did not respond, nor did he acknowledge that he had been spoken to. Not until a hand was waved in front of his face. Then he blinked in startled surprise.

"Hm… What?" he asked, snapping back out of his thoughts. He had all but forgotten Alice was there.

"I asked, what are you thinking? Now that you have read it, what are your thoughts?"

"My thoughts?" he repeated, his mind struggling to process. "I'll tell you what I'm thinking. I'm thinking this…" he said, waving the offending pages in his hand. "…doesn't justify anything. It just proves she knew all along that her actions would come back to bite her in her lily white ass."

"Yeah, obviously she kept secrets from you entirely too long and obviously she knew it was wrong not to tell you straight away. However, s self-serving as her reasoning is, she's also spot on about a lot of things, especially what she wrote about you needing time to bond with Anthony."

"Next you're going to tell me everyone has flaws and sometimes you should just forgive and forget."

"No, I was just going to point out that by avoiding her you're proving her right. She feared you were going to shut her out and that's exactly what you're doing."

"How in the fuck I'm I supposed to talk to her in a civil manner, when all I want to do is strangle her? Can you answer me that?"

"How about telling her that you're not ready to talk yet, but that you're not going anywhere either."

"You make it sound so easy," he scoffed.

Alice just shook her head and snatched the two sheets of paper out of his hands. "It seems to me like you're making it more complicated than it needs to be." She folded the pages and placed them back in her handbag. "Speaking of making things complicated…. Do I need to bring out the duct tape and tie you to a chair?"

"Wh-.. What?! "

"The recordings, Edward. Apparently there are some sort of voice messages on her phone that she wants you to listen to. I've got the phone and her pin code."

"Right… If I do this, if I listen to them, you'll leave me alone for the rest of the night," he demanded although it came out sounding more like a plea, than a demand.

"Yup. So, you'll do it?"

He sighed heavily, knowing that if she had been annoying before, she would be unbelievably unbearable if he didn't go along with this.

"Yes."

.

xXOXxxXOXxXOXxXOXxXOX

.

3008… no.

.

3108… no.

.

0109…nope.

.

0209… no.

.

Bella's phone was a mystery. It was a dark, nondescript one; a smartphone for sure, but not an iPhone, Blackberry or any Android phone he had ever seen before. Edward had caught her casting envious glances at both his and Alice's iPhones more than once, but he knew the back story. He knew she had been forced to take drastic messieurs after her mother, Renee, had managed to hack her SIM card. Kind of scary, seeing as Renee could hardly be described as a technical whiz!

.

0309… no.

.

0409… still no luck.

.

Apparently Bella had some sort of dictaphone app installed on her phone. Edward had never seen her use it, but according to her colleague she recorded stuff with it quite regularly.

Finding the right app had been easy; it had an obvious name and also she really didn't have that many apps installed to begin with. Accessing the audio files, however, was a different matter all together.

Knowing the pin code wasn't enough. According to Clearwater the actual recordings were password protected as well. Of course they were, no surprises there. However, the guy had not been very forthcoming with details.

Did he know the password? No. Swan changed her password once every three weeks, FBI policy. Did he know how she picked her passwords? No, just that she tended to base them on specific dates. Not her birthday or anything that could be easily guessed though. Did he know any of her past passwords? No, but Swan had once mentioned that she always alternated between the same three passwords. One of those three passwords was the same combination that she had used for the padlock on her locker in high school. Did he think there was any significance behind that admission? Yes, especially seeing as Swan had coached him what information to give away if any member of the Cullen clan ever contacted him and asked questions about her phone and those voice recordings.

The result – Edward was testing various combinations of digits related to their relationship and high school milestones, like the date of the day they first met, the date they first kissed, the date they first…. No, it had to be the date they first met. It HAD to be, because very few people knew when and where that fateful event had happened.

.

0509… no.

.

Alice had wisely pointed out that if Bella wanted Edward to access those audio files, the password HAD to be a reference to something that only he would know about. Yeah, well, guess what?! He had no freaking idea what it could be. After a few minutes of futile guesswork, Alice volunteered to go to the source; to go ask Bella.

Edward was glad to see her leave. Finally, some peace and quiet! He felt like a tool for even wasting an ounce of energy on this stupid password quest. If Bella had something to say, she should say it to his face. He sighed and rubbed his temples as he realized the absurdity of that thought. Not that easy to reach out to someone when you're confined to a hospital bed and when the other party is avoiding you like plague. Still he was tempted to throw the phone in the trash and forget about the whole thing all together. He'd already heard enough excuses and lame justifications from her to last a lifetime.

His fingers moved on their own accords though, punching in numbers after numbers until suddenly…

.

0609… Bingo!

.

The phone chimed, announcing that the app was ready to use.

September the sixth… Just because he couldn't remember the exact date, didn't mean he had forgotten about it. He'd been handcuffed to a chair at the police station back in Fork's, when SHE had walked in… or stumbled in… the police chiefs, jailbait daughter. Ah, the memories… He could still picture the whole thing in his head like it was yesterday.

…

_(AN: If you're curious to know how they met you should go ahead and read the end of chapter five of 'A twisted tale', which you can find it in my profile.)_

…..

Edward had to literally shake his head to rid his mind of those images as he tried to force his attention back to the phone in his hands. It took him a few seconds to get a grip of what he was looking at. It wasn't just one or two messages, it was a whole archive of recordings. Everything seemed to be sorted by date and the entries went back as far as six months.

Where to start? Where to start? Surely she didn't expect him to listen through them all?! That would take ages.

He could start with the most recent one and work his way backwards, but that would probably be confusing. He assumed this was a diary of sorts, though in actuality he really couldn't be sure of anything. He could see that there were quite a few deleted messages. So whatever this was, it was probably heavily edited and censured to fit Bella's… what was the wording Alice had used?… 'Self-serving reasoning'.

There were a few gaps in the entries. Like for example there was nothing from the time when her hu-... when Black had died. Also there was nothing from the time when she had waltz back into Edward's life again or from the time of… eh… well, conception. Too bad, it would have been insightful to hear her thoughts on all three of those events.

Where to start? Where to start? He wracked his brain, trying to remember what she had told him. She was 19 weeks along, but had been more than two months along before she found out about the pregnancy. So she must have found out around mid September. September again, huh? He was sure Alice would say it was cosmic irony. She was big on karma stuff.

So… mid September… He double clicked on the entry from the 13th of that month. There was a crackling static noise and then Bella's voice filled the room.

_._

_September 13th_

_.  
_

_People alive right now who think I'm batshit crazy: 2. _

_Appointments made with shrink: 0 and NO, I do not want to talk about it. _

_Ugh, I just realized I have that last evaluation coming up in a few days…._

_Painkillers: 4, I should probably not mention that to the doc._

_Calories burned: 413, not tooo bad._

_Remember to buy milk, cereals, toilet paper._

_.  
_

_End of message…_

___._  


_September 15th_

___._

_Phonecalls: too many, too early._

_Alcohol Units: 0 but I feel lightheaded. Actually I feel like barfing. I knew I shouldn't have eaten that last Twinkie!_

_Paikillers:2_

_Coffees:7_

_Remember to pick up jacket from dry cleaner._

_.  
_

_End of message…_

___._  


_September 16th_

___._

_Minutes spent in the bathroom throwing up: 17. There was definitely something wrong with that darn Twinkie!_

_Buy more Pepto-Bismol ASAP!_

_.  
_

_End of message…_

___._  


_September 18th_

___._

_Time spent online working: 47 min. _

_Time spent online not working: 317 min. _

_Online purchases: 5 pair of shoes, very bad. 4 books, very cheap. Groceries, convenient. Bought 3 flavors of ice cream. Bad. The delivery boy was cute though, so I might try it again._

_Paikillers:2. I really should try and get by without these suckers. Thankfully the stomach bug seem to be gone._

_Coffees:5_

_Calories burned: 287._

_Note to self: must not forget the appointment on the 21st._

_.  
_

_End of message…_

___._  


_September 20th_

___._

_Dr. Evans, 9:30 AM, tomorrow morning, right across from Mickies diner._

_Putting the sparkly stuff on ice._

_No more desk duties…..Can't wait!_

_.  
_

_End of message…_

___._  


_September 21st_

___._

_OMG! Need a drink!_

_Make appointment with an OB/Gyn ASAP!_

_.  
_

_End of message…_

___._  


_September 30th_

___._

_Still in shock!_

_Coffees: 2, trying to cut down. _

_Teas: 2 failed attempts. The herbal stuff is truly disgusting._

_Remember appointment on the 5th._

_.  
_

_End of message…_

___._  


_October 3rd_

___._

_Phone calls made to E: 0._

_Face-to-face meetings with E: 0. _

_E-mails to E: almost 1, but really 0._

_Coffees: 0, very good_

_Painkillers: 0 excellent_

_Bouts of morning sickness: 2, I think or maybe it's just nerves. Doubts: 16542. I should put an end to this while I still can._

_.  
_

_End of message…_

___._

_October 5th_

___._

_Current weight: 117lbs_

_Gestation: 8 weeks_

_Blood pressure: high, apparently. Not surprised._

_Coffees: thrown up 1 (that's a new one)_

_Peanut butter: 15 table spoons, my only comfort from now on. _

_Pints of ice cream: 2, ok, and ice cream, because the cold stuff is comforting too._

_Chocolate bars: 5 . and, yes, Chocolate too; my three comforts left._

_Calories burned: uhm…. not many enough… _

_Life-altering decisions made: 1_

_Phone calls made to E: 3. That's right! I made three whooping calls, but the jerk hit ignore every single time… Or maybe he really is out of town, like rumor has it._

_.  
_

_End of message…_

___._  


_October 5th, 2nd message_

___._

_I was just thinking, what, if anything, would I like to remember of this day…_

_Got to hear the heartbeat today, sounded like a galloping horse. I know, I'm supposed to feel something; joy, elation, fear, anything… But it seems the only thing I'm able to feel besides shock right now is this fucking emptiness. Note to self: must. not. start. comfort-eating._

_.  
_

_End of message…_

___._  


_October 14th_

___._

_Dizzy spells in front of the boss: 1_

_Trips to the ER: 1_

_BP: 140/90, high._

_Dehydration: yep. See, that's what happens when I can't have my coffee…_

_Bouts of morning sickness: 6, bad day, I tell you… _

_Uncomfortable conversations: 1_

_Never in a million years did I think my boss would be the first one I told… Crazy!_

_Phone calls made to E: 0, a big fat ZERO. I e-mailed him though. I came up with this bogus, case related question that I hope he will feel compelled to answer. _

_.  
_

_End of message…_

___._  


_October 16th_

___._

_Horrible abdominal cramps: check!_  
_Spotting: check!_

_Fatigue, feverish, chills: Check!_

_Hours slept:4,5 _

_Minutes waiting in phone cue: 37_

_BP: probably sky high_

_Reassurance from phone call: absolutely none._

_Emergency appointment scheduled: 1_

_Reminder: Dr. Evans, oct 17, 7:70 AM_

_.  
_

_End of message…_

_._

_October 16th. 2nd message_

_.  
_

_Went into work this afternoon against better judgement…_

_E-mails in inbox: 87, but none of them from E. _

_Stuff to buy: ice cream, bread, eggs, tomatoes, creme cheese._

_.  
_

_End of message…_

_.  
_

There was a knock on the door that made him jump. Seconds later Carlisle popped his head in. "Can we come in, son?"

"Of course, it's your office."

Carlisle opened the door some more, allowing Alice to slide through. "See, I told you he was more likely to be fiddling around with that phone than sleeping," she told her dad pointedly all the while giving Edward her classic 'I'm-dying-to-know-spill-it-right-now' look.

"How am I supposed to get any sleep when you're constantly moving your mouth, Alice?" Edward retorted, his voice carefully bland. "No offence dad, but I swear if one more person pokes their head through that door and asks how I'm holding up I'll break their figgin neck. "

"Ah well, at least I'm getting paid to ask those kind of questions and like you pointed out, this is my office after all." Carlisle laughed, ushering Alice further into the room. "Speaking of which, I have some paperwork I need to catch up on. If you guys want to stay and keep the old man company, you're welcome to."

Edward frowned, "I sense a 'but' coming…"

His father nodded. "But Edward, I think you should consider going home for a little bit."

When he started to protest, Carlisle laid a hand on his arm. "Isabella is sleeping right now. I upped her drip, so she's set for the night. If you want to come back later this evening and spend another night here at the hospital, that's fine. However, I really think you should try and make time for your son, because he is still just a child. I doubt he understands all the sudden changes that are occurring in his environment right now. Bottom line, I really do think you should be the one that put Anthony to bed tonight."

His father was right, Edward realized with a pang of guilt. "I guess, I should… maybe… No, scratch that. You're right dad. I SHOULD go home." His shoulders sagged as he meet his father's eyes. "You still have a few hours left of your shift, right?"

"Yes, I'll be here for at least another three hours."

"If I leave… will you call me if anything changes? With Bella, I mean…"

"Of course," Carlisle agreed, with a firm nod. "I think we can expect an uneventful night. Everything looks stable at the moment. Plus I think it helped that I had a good, long talk with her. We went over everything she should know about her condition and treatment options. It seems to have calmed her."

"It calmed her?" Edward asked, his hand running through his hair like it always did when he was nervous or distressed. "You told her EVERYTHING, and it calmed her?"

"Yes, Edward. She had a lot of questions. Sometimes not knowing is a terrible void. Sometimes not knowing is far more stressful than having all the facts, even when they are grim.

"That's what I said," Alice chimed in.

"So what happened? She didn't freak out… like at all? I though you said it might be too much for her to handle."

"Obviously, I was gauging her reaction as well as her stats and vitals, but it all went over better than I thought it would. I guess she's a lot stronger than I've given her credit for," Carlisle admitted.

"I could have told you that," Alice butted in again. "She's like trained to handle stressful situations."

Edward rolled his eyes. "She's trained to handle a gun and deal with criminals. That's hardly the same thing as facing a personal crisis of both medical and emotional nature."

"True, there is no preparing for something of this magnitude," Carlisle agreed. "Are you upset with me, son? You might not remember this, because things were still kind of chaotic at the time, but I did ask you how you wanted to proceed with this and you said that you preferred not being the one breaking the bad news to her."

"No…. I remember. I just expected you to wait a little while longer with telling her, that's all, but if it calmed her, then I suppose it was the right thing to do."

"Good, that's how I feel too," his father nodded. "It looks like she's finally getting the rest she needs, which is why I'm advising you to go home. You'll have plenty of time to put the little guy to sleep, eat a nice meal, take a nice shower, get a good night's sleep and then come back here in the morning."

"Right…"

"The ultrasound is at nine sharp. That's one appointment that you REALLY ought to be present and alert for."

"You're planning an ultrasound? on Christmas day? If that's not a good luck omen, I don't know what is," Alice gushed with genuine surprise. "Can I come? I can act as a distraction if things get too tense. I'm good at that."

"Alice! I don't think that's such a good idea."

"Dad, please!"

"Wouldn't you rather spend Christmas morning with your fiancé and your nephews? Besides it's not me you should ask."

"Edward?"

"What?!" He sort of kind of zoned out, but came to with a start when he realized he was being asked a question. "Oh, um . . ."

"Please, say yes. I won't pester you about the phone, Bella's messages or any of that tonight. I'll leave you alone for the rest of the evening, If you agree to let me tag along tomorrow."

"Fine, but if Bella doesn't want you there ….." He made a cut-throat gesture with his finger while pointing to the door.

"Great, that settles it!" Alice declared, clapping her hands in delight.

.

xXOXxXOXxXOXxXOXxXOXxXOX

.

AN: Okay, don't expect me to be all perfect with the medical stuff, I'm no doctor here. I should have made that disclaimer several chapters ago, but it slipped my mind. You've been pretty good to me with your reviews though, so I guess I haven't messed up too bad.

I got my computer up and running again. Turns out it really was the video card causing that was the trouble, but I managed solve the problem without having to replace it with a new one. I know changing a video card isn't that difficult (like some of you were kind enough to point out, thanks!), but my computer is custom built so the maneuvering space inside the case is beyond tight. I was worried I wouldn't be able to get the old card out without damaging something in the process. I managed to mess up a motherboard while putting in more RAM memory in a computer at work a few years back, so I'm a bit cautious. I have bad tech Karma. Must be from the time I spilled OJ all over my old laptop.


	44. Chapter 43- Needs and wants

_**AN: Not my best work, but I know you're waiting so here it goes...**_

.

**Chapter 43 - Needs and wants**

.

"Mom," Edward whined. "Stop with the hugs already."

"Do I need a reason to hug my baby?"

"I'm hardly a baby, am I?"

"Depends on who you're asking. You are my baby!" She hugged him some more. "Humour me. I've seen it in daylight now; the rubble that once used to be my pool house."

Edward sighed deeply, but immediately relented. "Fine, one more hug, then food, okay?"

"I saved you a plate, hoping you'd make it home tonight," she said, squeezing his shoulder on final time before letting him go.

"Yeah well, dad insisted…."

"You're staying, right? Or do you need to go back?"

"What I need is some food, a shower and a few hours of sleep in a real bed. Carlisle said they'd call if anything changes."

"I'm sure it will be alright, she'll be alright," Esme looked like he was about to say something else when the sound of pattering feet on the hardwood interrupted their conversation.

Moments later, two little boys came bursting through the door, hollering and shrieking at the top of theirlungs.

"Uncle Eddie!"

"Edda!"

Before he could stop them, or even blink, they had lunged for his legs and latched on, one on each side. Talk about instant karma. You try and escape your responsibilities for a few hours and it comes back two-fold.

A hearty laugh rang from behind him, and then Emmett appeared in the kitchen.

"Sorry bro," he said, not sounding apologetic at all. "I tried to rein them in, but they wouldn't have it."

"I bet you did," Edward shook his head as he waddled backwards to the nearest chair and plopped down.

"Oof guys, you sure are strong for being so small. Did you spend the whole afternoon working out or something?" he joked, trying to dislodge the boys from his legs, to no avail, of course. They just giggled and held on tighter.

"Admit it; you were lifting weights in the basement when I came in."

"No uh," came the muffled reply from Elliott. "I lifwted snow."

"Snow, huh? No way! Are you telling me there is snow in the basement?"

"Noo," the boy shrieked with laughter. "Is a snowman, is outside."

"You made a snowman outside? I bet it was that tiny thing I saw out front when I walked from the car."

"Not tiny, is biig!"

"I thought it looked pretty tiny, smaller than you even," he teased and held his hand about a foot from the floor indicating the snowman's height.

"No, is big," Elliott insisted, enthusiastically stretching his hands as far over his head as he could reach. Of course, in doing so, he had to let go of his uncle's leg.

"Wow, really? Man, that's awesome. Guess I'll have to check it out again in the morning," Edward told the boy as he swiftly lifted him off the floor and held him out towards Emmett. "This one is yours I believe. I don't think I can handle more than one leg-hugging hooligan at a time."

"Hate to break it to you, but you should have though of that sooner," Emmett laughed as he accepted the child into his arms. "You know what they say, two kids are double thejoy, triple the snot, poop and tears and half the sleep."

"Nonsense!"Esmescoffed as she approached the table and handed Edward a napkin with silverware. "Don't listen to him. Children are great joy! The more, the merrier!"

"Hypocrite," Emmett coughed, "Hey Edward, why don't you ask mom why Tony's hair is all sticky"

"All sticky?" Edward sighed, running a hand through his son's gravity-defying locks. They were indeed sticky. "Did he put food in his hair or something? We just trimmed it the other day when he got a chewing gum caught in it."

"There is nothing wrong with his hair. It just needs a good wash and brush," his mother hurried to reassured him.

"It's frosting," Emmett smirked. "We had a bit of a cake incident."

"Mo-om," Edward half-whined, half-groaned, "Stop trying to bribe the kid with sugar. That's my trick. If I don't have that, I have nothing."

"Sorry, no can do," Esme shook her head. "I'm not ready to give up just yet. You should have seen us this afternoon. I got him to sit still in my lap for a whole five minutes while we decorated that cake."

"That was until the he plunged his face in it and took a huge bite," Emmett supplied helpfully. "It was awesome, right Tiger?"

Anthony, of course, was too smart to admit to anything of the sort. He merely shook his head and clung tighter to his father's leg. His cousin on the other hand wasn't afraid to speak up. "Uncle Eddie, nana put cake on da floor," Elliott blurted with a big, cheeky grin as he squirmed out of his father's arms and then began bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet.

"Hush! Why do you two have to be such tattle-tails?" Esme complained. "So, I dropped the cake, big deal! It was a minor setback, all things considered. You guys still got your desert and I got some precious time with my newest grandson."

"That's great mom, but I don't want you to stuff him with sweets every time I turn my back. What happened to 'eat your vegetables'?"

"Yeah mom, that's all we ever heard growing up," Emmett cut in with a pout. "It was all work and no cake."

Edward gave his brother a tired sigh, "I'm trying to be serious here, Em. I know he looks like a skeleton compared to other kids his age, but someone needs to teach him about food groups and nutrition and all that stuff and we all know that person won't be me."

"Oh honey, there will be plenty of time for that too, but this is Tony's first Christmas with us. I just want it to be special. Beside you won't be raising this boy alone. You'll have another baby and you'll have Bell-…"

"Mom, don't go there!" Edward snapped with such suddenness and intensity that it made the others jump, even the two children.

He felt like a jerk, but he was simply too tired to be civil and sensible. He opened his mouth to offer a forced apology, but his mother beat him to it.

"Oh, I am sorry. I thought…. never mind what I thought. Pay no attention to me. It's just a mother's wishful thinking. It was stupid of me to say anything."

Edward sighed heavily and raised his eyes to the ceiling, before he dropped them back down again to look at her. "It's just that things are still very much unresolved and I don't want to… well jinx anything. The future is a fickle thing and after what happened last night… "

"…there is no telling what tomorrow will bring. I get it, Edward, I truly do." She said and gave his shoulder a reassuring pat. "This is why I'm planning on spoiling all my grandbabies every chance I get from now on," she added, effectively putting an end to the conversation by scooping an unsuspecting Elliott into her arms.

The boy squealed in equal portions of horror and delight as she attacked him with hugs and kisses. She kept it up for a good two minutes before she had to give the boy a chance to catch his breath.

"Tomorrow will be great, right, kiddo?!" she smiled. "Are you excited to see what Santa will leave for you under the tree?"

"Yeah," Elliott responded with a breathless grin. "I ask for a puppy, but mama say Santa can't make no puppies. Only doggies can make puppies."

"Oh, that's a bummer." Esme hid a chuckle and ruffled his hair affectionately. "I bet he'll bring something else for you to play with, though."

"A monkey?"

"Oh, brilliant idea! A monkey is so much cooler than a dog, " Emmett laughed, giving him thumbs up. "I'd love to see the look on your mother's face if Santa gives you a monkey."

"I don't know…" Esme said while pretending to think. "Do you really think a monkey would fit under the Christmas tree? And where would it sleep? Are you prepared to share your bed with a monkey?"

"Uh uh," the boy shook his head. "Daddy hava big bed."

"Oh, that's right. He does have a big bed. Why didn't I think of that?" Esme smirked in Emmett's direction. "Well, that settles it. Next year, your daddy can ask Santa for a monkey. You could help him write the letter," she suggested, setting the child down on the floor.

"We'll talk more about this later. Right now we need to get your uncle some food before he starts eating the furniture."

"I help?"

"Sure thing. Come on, you can help me with the microwave." Esme decided and took the boy by his hand, leading him to the refrigerator.

"Cheer up, bro!" Emmett punched Edward's arm. "What's your problem? You really do look like you're about to flip the table and start thrashing the place."

"What's my problem? I don't know where to begin… How about this; I'm going to look like the worst parent EVER tomorrow." Edward grumbled. "I haven't done any Christmas shopping, like at all."

"I wouldn't worry too much about that, if I where you. Wait until you see what mom bought to put in Tony's Christmas S-T-O-C-K-I-N-G," Emmett said spelling out the words he didn't want the boy to catch. "It's a giant G-U-M-M-Y bear, only it's not a bear it's a T-I-G-E-R."

"Great, but do we even have a S-T-O-C-K-I-N-G for him?" All this Christmas talk had made Edward realize that he had all but forgotten about stockings and gifts and everything else that the holiday season typically entailed when you have a child to care for.

"Of course, we do. Hello, have you not met Alice? She's bought a shit load of Christmas related stuff for the kid. And then there is mom… He's set, don't worry about it. He's only two, he won't question where it came from, or how it got here."

"I still feel like shi-crap, though. I'm terribly at anything Christmas-y. I don't even have a clue-…. "

"-… how to act cheerful and pleasant in a social setting. Yeah, we know that already. You're the Grinch," Emmett mocked.

Edward shook his head, but held back the retort. It wasn't worth the energy, besides Emmett seemed to have lost interest in their conversation anyway. His attention had shifted to his nephew, who was still huddling down on the floor with a tight grip around Edwards knees.

He showed off his full range of grimaces, but Anthony remained unimpressed, only giggling occasionally, more out of nervous jitters than anything else.

"I wonder how Jasper did it?" Emmett mused, seemingly at random.

"Did what? His Christmas shopping?"

"No, I wonder how he got the Tiger to like him. There was no sugar, cake or candy involved, yet they took to each other like peanut butter and jelly, or milk and cookies. I've ne-…"

"Hava cookie?!" a tiny voice interrupted as Anthony spoke up for the first time in a long, long while.

"And you guys think I have a one track mind," Emmett smirked.

"What did you say, Anthony? I couldn't hear you," Edward asked, shushing his brother.

"I say hava cookie!" he repeated, leaning back to look at his father expectantly. The death-grip the child had stubbornly maintained for the last ten minutes finally faltered, giving Edward enough leverage to maneuver him into his lap.

"I don't know," Edward said, pretending to ponder the question as he settled the child securely against his chest. "Have you been a good boy for your Nana Esme today?"

Anthony nodded shyly at his father, and then peaked at his grandmother from under his lashes before hurriedly hiding his face in the crook of Edward's neck.

"Did you eat your food?"

Again he nodded. "I eat cheeese."

"You ate cheese? For dinner? Really? What else did you eat?"

"Dunno," he shrugged.

"You don't know?"

Just then the microwave chimed and Esme fetched a steaming hot plate of homemade pizza, setting it in front of Edward on the table.

"You're telling me you passed up on the chance to taste your Nana Esme's delicious signature Christmas eve cheese pizza with tomato sauce, mozzarella, basil, and parmesan?" he asked, taking in the heavenly smell of his mother's cooking.

"I eat cheeese," Anthony repeated with yet another shrug, causing his uncle Emmett to bark out a laugh.

"It's true, he didn't care much for the crust or the ham, but he really did seem to dig the cheese."

"The crust is good, but everyone knows the cheese is the best part," Edward winked at his son, before digging into his food.

"Uncle Eddie, I have pizza!" Elliott piped up. "I have big slice. Is in my tummy."

"Good for you!" Edward praised him in between bites. "But if you had a big slice I guess you don't have room for any cookies, right?"

The boy looked offended. "I'ma big boy. My tummy is huge, see," he explained, holding his breath and sticking his belly out like blow fish.

"I stand corrected. Look at that!," Edward chuckled. "I guess since you both ate your dinner, you can ask your Nana Esme for a cookie. She's in charge of the cookies, you know. In fact, I believe there is a super secret special cookie task that she needs you help with, isn't that right, mom? Isn't it time prepare Santa's cookies?"

"Why of course," Esme exclaimed, rubbing her hands together. "Do you boys want to help me pick out cookies for Santa?"

Elliott was game, of course, making a happy dance towards the pantry where he knew his grandmother kept the goodies. Anthony, however, was a lot more reluctant. Basically he was not willing to let his father out of his sight… at all. Cute, but Edward really needed some time and space to breath.

Surprisingly though, Emmett actually caught on right away and took charge over the situation. He made a big production out of pretending to be hungry and threatening to steal all the cookies. And just like that he had both boys scrambling off to save what could be saved, because heaven forbid they ran out of cookies.

"He's good," Esme commented, smiling. "Parenting a toddler is all about bribing, rewarding and distracting."

"And here I thought it was all about love, patience and understanding," Edward replied, with a shake of his head.

"Well, that too of course," she laughed, getting a distant look on her face. " I know it sucks when life doesn't go the way you want it o go. You have our support, though. You know that, right? Whatever you need…."

"I know, mom."

"Let's pray that this time next year we'll have another little baby crawling around making mischief."

Edward nodded not trusting his voice.

.

…

.

"Ow, owwwww!" Anthony wailed, arms flailing.

"Dammit! STAY STILL!" Edward muttered grumpily to the boy, who was only one twitch away from taking a nose dive off the bathroom counter. "The sooner you let me finish this, the faster we'll be out of here!"

"Nu-uh!" Anthony sputtered, blinking rapidly to get all traces of water out of his eyes.

"Lean your head back!"

"No! Owie!"

"It only hurts if you don't do as I say." Edward's patience was beyond wire-thin. "You know what, suit yourself," he snapped, grabbing Anthony by the back of his head, pulling him flush to his chest.

The boy yelped in surprise as Edward unceremoniously began dumping a 2-liter bottle worth of water over the gluey, sticky, messy that was the boy's hair. Of course in doing so, he ended up soaking himself in the process and the water, which was supposed to go down the drain in the sink, ended up all over the mirror, the counter and the floor.

Within seconds the child was screamed bloody blue murder, but Edward steeled himself against the high-pitched cries and kept going until the bottle was emptied. The hair was still going to need some serious taming, but at least it was washed and rinsed properly .

"You'll be the death of me," he sighed, awkwardly rocking the child, the way he had seen countless mothers do with their crying children. Fortunately, the noise subsided a bit when Anthony put his thumb to his mouth.

Hallelujah!

Edward found the thumb sucking kinda gross, with all the drooling and germs and what not, but as a self soothing technique it was extraordinarily effective.

He toweled the boy off and took him back to his bedroom, where he got him into his night attire and set him down with his stuffed tiger and his favorite car in the middle of the bed.

As per usual Anthony showed no interest in lying down and letting himself get tucked in.

"Come on Tony! There is no way I'm chasing you around the room tonight." Grabbing his phone from the nightstand, he held it out for the boy. "How about we make a deal? If you lay down on the bed with me, I'll let you play with this for a while," he suggested, knowing Anthony had a weakness for electronic gadgets, with buttons to push and interesting lights and sounds to explore.

"I have?" the boy asked, but made no move for the offered object.

"Yes, you can play with it, but you've got to come closer first," Edward told him.

Still no move…

"Let's look at some pictures," Edward suggested, as he flipped through the images in the gallery until he found one of the snapshots that he had showed his parents when he had first told them about Anthony.

"Look, who is this?"

"Is me?"

"Yeah and me, see," he pulled the boy closer.

"Next," Anthony demanded, while he tried to get his hands on the phone. He knew the ropes, he and Bella had done this with her phone countless of times. You push a button and a new picture will appear.

"Alright, here's the next one! Bet you don't recognize these people." Edward had the boy in his arms now, half sitting, half laying on top of his chest.

"Is-illy!"

"No…" he chuckled. "Silly is not a name, silly! You're close, though. It's your auntie Al…."

"ALLIE"

"Right on! This hairy guy by her side is Jaz. I know you like him. Can you say Jaz?"

"Nope." Tony shook his head.

"Fair enough. What about this little fellow?" he suppressed a yawn while he opened another folder and showed him a picture of Elliott "You like your cousin, don't you Tony?"

"I bite."

"Really? You've bitten Elliott? What happened with the 'no hitting, no kicking, no biting' rule? You can't go around biting people!"

"No kicking da tummy!"

"No kicking, period!" he tried to muster up enough energy to sound stern, but it fell flat. "You're lucky I'm tired, kiddo."

"See Beeh now?" Anthony asked, making another grab for the phone.

"See who?"

"Bewa!"

"Sorry, I don't know anyone by that name," Edward teased, not only knowing who Tony was asking for, but also knowing he had yet to manage to say her name correctly.

"Beh-wla," Tony grunted, pushing himself off his father's chest. "No see!"

"If you lay down and let me tuck you in, I'll show you all the pictures I have of Bella."

"NO!"

"No? I guess I'll put this away then…." Edward said, pretending to turn the phone off.

"NoOoo," the boy wailed and flung out his arms.

"Come over here and lay down!"

"Uh uh." Instead of obeying, Anthony inched further away. "I go see," he declared with a pout, throwing himself towards the short end of the bed.

"Whoa, watch out for the…"

BANG

"….EDGE! You okay, buddy?"

Edward expected the weeping and wailing that followed, but he hadn't anticipated the way it cut into his brain like a sharp knife. "There, there," he mumbled, lifting the boy into his arms. "I've got you."

"I fe-ell!" Anthony hiccuped, big fat tears dropping down his face.

"Yeah, I saw that. You fell off the bed, but you'll be okay. You fell right into a pile of clothes, they were soft, right buddy?" He used a foot to test the truth to that statement, stomping at the place where he'd seen Anthony hit the floor. "See, soft as a cotton cloud."

He tried to comfort Anthony by rocking him side to side, much like he had done in the bathroom, only this time the wailing didn't stop. "If you want to suck on your thumb, I won't say anything."

"Bewla!"

"Hold on, I've got her right here" he scrambled to pick up the phone from the floor, hoping to distract the child with a few pictures.

"No," the child slapped the phone out of his hand and yelled "See Bewla!"

"If I could, I'd bring you to her, but this is the best I can do at the moment," Edward sank down on the bed. puling the child onto a tight embrace. "It's just me and you tonight."

"Owie!"

"You fell, I know, but you're fine now," he said rubbed Tony's back, knowing that even little kids ran out of tears eventually. The boy quieted down, but the sobbing seemed to continue for an eternity. Just when he thought that the little guy might actually have fallen asleep, he stirred and then pushed himself into a sitting position.

"Bewla?"

"No, go back to sleep buddy."

"Is there," the boy insisted. "I see, I have."

It took Edward a while to realize what the boy was saying, but when boy started pointing, he finally got the message. "You're right, that second phone over there is Bella's."

"I have!"

"I don't think that's such a good idea."

"See, Bewla?"

"Man, you never give up, do you?" Edward grumbled, grabbing both phones off the nightstand, showing them under his pillow. Out of sight, out of mind.. "No, you can't play with Bella's phone. No, we can't go see her, or call her and no, we won't spend the next half an hour looking at more pictures."

"Owie!" Tony pouted up at him, bottom lip trembling,

"Now you're really milking it, kid."

He tried to remain in control of the situation, but then there were tears again and he gave in.

For a brief, exhausted moment, he actually considered getting the child dressed and into a car for a quick visit to the hospital. Then sanity caught up with him again and he settled for something slightly less radical.

He brought up the dictaphone app and played the kid some of Bella's messages.

.

…  
.

_October 17th_

_Note to self: puking during trans-vag ultrasound is NOT fun! Yes, I started puking right there on the table..._

_I didn't see anything earth shattering on that screen. They pointed out the gestational sac, the yolk sac and finally this little gray blob that had a beating heart, but looked nothing like a baby. It's a miracle that you can see anything at all this early, and of course I'm relieved that everything looked okay, but all in all, it wasn't a pleasant experience. _

_End of message…_

_October 19th. _

_Pimple breakouts - Check!_

_Nausea, vomiting - Check!_

_Food aversions - Check!_

_Strong sense of smell - Check! _

_Headache - Check!_

_But hey, I'm having a great day…_

_End of message…_

_October 20th._

_Coffees: maybe_

_Peanut butter: yes_

_Chocolate: definitely_

_Calories: Possibly on the plus side for the first time this week._

_Remember to buy: butter, milk, eggs. I'm gonna give pancakes a try today.._

_End of message…_

_November 20th. 2nd message_

_Pancakes: bad idea!_

_There is something about eggs that's just repulsing._

_End of message…_

_October 29th._

_Current weight: 115lbs, that's 2 lbs down from last time._

_Gestation: 11 weeks_

_Blood pressure: high_

_It's official, I can't do anything right. I'm losing weight when I should be gaining and my blood pressure is at a constant level above what is considered healthy._

_End of message…_

_November 5th_

_Maybe I'm more like Renee than I care to admit, maybe I'm just not suitable for motherhood. Poor kid…._

_End of message…_

_November 5th. 2nd message_

_I'm not my mother. Unlike her, I'm actually capable of expressing and feeling genuine emotion. I've loved and been loved, ferociously and joyfully. My child will never be left behind at the supermarket. My child will never have to wonder whether someone will be home to cook dinner or not. My child will never have to forge signatures or lie to teachers about missed PTA meetings. I'll probably never win any parents of the year awards, but I'll never be tempted to check out on reality when things get too rough and if I were to suddenly come into money, I would never try and buy status and class instead of earning it._

_End of message…_

_November 11th_

_Mood: frustrated, irritated, horny, lonely, twitchy, bloated._

_Chocolate: not giving that up_

_Alcohol: would be nice right about now_

_BP: 135/89, better but still high._

_Invitations for thanksgiving: 1_

_Side note: guess I've finally proved that I'm edgy enough to hang with the cool crowd at school… err I mean work. Should be interesting. Senior agents like Quil Ateara doesn't normally associate with rookies like myself, let alone break beard with them. I've heard Mrs. A makes a mean turkey day feast. Jenks swears by it._

_Remember to buy: thoughtful hostess gift _

_End of message…_

_November 20thCoffee, bouts of morning sickness, calories: really, who cares? Not getting out of bed today… I'm gonna sleep, sleep, sleep and then sleep some more._

_End of message…_

_November 26th_

_Food consumed in the last 24 hours: way too much. I think I ate my own weight in corn bread alone. Corn bread! I hate corn bread!_

_Note to self: add scream of horror when alert enough to care._

_Painful groans: 42, not bad considering how tired I am. God, I'm bloated!_

_Groans of sexual ecstasy: big fat 0.._

_End of message…_

_November 26th. 2nd message_

_Calories: mostly on the floor. Very disgusting_

_End of message…_


	45. Chapter 44 - Morning light

.

He knew he should sleep, his body ached for rest, but his mind would not relent. His thoughts were racing.

Despite the warm little body snoring on his chest Edward found himself unbearably lonely.. He needed – he didn't know what he needed – just that he needed something… He had felt he had been so close to having everything. So close! And yet, so terribly far.

He stared at the phone in his hand. He had no will power, no self control and most of all no intelligence. If he had any of these qualities he would not even be tempted to press play again, but he was… and he did…

.

_November 27th 1st message_

_._

_Krispy Kremes: 17, CRAP! And most of them came up again in the loos at work, along with the last of theThanksgiving feast _

_._

_Gas, bloating, flatulence: Check! How is it even possible to feel bloated on an empty stomach? _

_._

_Distractions: ,1 in the form of one really odd phone call._

_._

_Need to remember to ask Clearwater to run a background check on a George Franklin with the Seattle police department. _

_._

_End of message_

_._

_._

_November 27th 2nd message_

_._

_Crap, I forgot Seth's out of town! I know they say pregnancy makes your memory go away for awhile, but I never thought it would be this BAD!_

_._

_End of message_

_._

_._

_November 28th 1st message_

_._

_O.M.G…. either someone is lying or… _

_._

_Damn, that irresponsible buffoon of a man and his super sperm._

_._

_Odd phone calls: Yep, I got another one, from Alice Cullen this time. _

_._

_Shocking news: 1_

_._

_Thought of the day: AGGHH!_

_.._

_End of message_

_._

_._

_November 28th, 2nd second message_

_._

_People who are working against me: God, apparently…. Renee, but that's a given…. and Alice Cullen, it seems... She is sneaky that woman! She's making it sound like I have no other choice than to drop everything and run to their rescue._

_I'm not that easily fooled though. I know she doesn't speak for her brother. If he cannot be bothered to respond to my phone calls or that one mucho-important-official-sounding email I sent him then forget it._

_._

_End of message_

_._

_._

_November 28th, 3rd message_

_._

_Who am I kidding…_

_._

_Tickets booked._

_._

_Contact Maggie Thompson, social worker with the Seattle Department of Social Services._

_._

_But before I leave… Looks like I have a pick a bone with Renee. _

_._

_End of message_

_._

_._

_November 29th_

_._

_Must get new phone, ASAP! The nerve of that woman! I know she's my mother, but something must be done! _

_._

_On the same note… Must talk with Jenks about this potential security breach. I might be able to use this to get the boss man to sanction my trip to Seattle, if the stuff I learned from the SPD officer isn't enough to sway him that is… On second thought, I'm not sure I want him to know exactly what a loon Renee is._

_._

_Also, I'm tempted to have Clearwater check just have many times E called and just how many times Renee actually spoke to him. Then again, does it really matter. Baby daddy or not, do I really want to be involved with a guy that runs away with his tail between his legs the minute Renee start's barking? _

_._

_End of message_

_._

_._

_November 30th_

_._

_Stepped on the scale again this morning... _

_._

_Current weight: 120lbs. Three up... See chocolate can be good for you. This new brand of chocolate protein monster shakes I've found is the greatest thing ever. _

_._

_Sore body parts: 2, my boobs feel like they are on fire and have grown a size over night. I'm going to pretend that's where all the fat has settled. Though if I'm honest, the top button on my pants has been undone for the last few days._

_._

_Gestation: 15 weeks and well into my second trimester! I still can't believe I've agreed to fly out and see Alice, when I feel like barfing every few minutes. _

_._

_Willpower: 5, on a scale of 5 to 10, 5 being the lowest willpower one can possess. _

_._

_Blood pressure: high. The last two days have been ridiculous and horrifying and ulcer creating._

_._

_._

_Seattle here I come._

_._

_End of message_

…..

Christmas morning went by in a coffee-fueled blur with only a few minor hiccups along the way, like the kids fighting over the last pack of yogurt drinks and the Christmas tree tipping over, twice. Edward, who for obvious reasons was not feeling the whole waking-up-at-the-ass-crack-of-dawn thing at all, left it for the others (i.e. auntie Alice) to handle those little mishaps.

Being anything but well rested, Edward was definitely not in a jolly holiday spirit, but found himself having to endure the whole Christmas morning spectacle nonetheless. It wasn't like he had a choice in the matter. His mother made it clear that sleeping in was NOT an option, besides it's kind of hard to snooze when you have the two exceptionally loud and rambunctious hooligans running up and down the hallway outside your bedroom.

Despite his tender age, Elliott seemed to know exactly what kind of adventure was waiting for them downstairs. Anthony on the other hand was utterly clueless as to what this Christmas malarkey was all about, but would never miss a chance to run amok cause trouble.

Edward dragged himself out of bed just in time to catch the commotion that occurred when Emmett was sent down the stairs to check if it was true that Santa had indeed graced the Cullen household with a visit over night. Waiting at the top of the stairs was two über excited little boys. Their excitement knew no bounds when it was reported back that there were sightings of reindeer poop on front porch and a pile of crumbles on the plate where Santa's cookies were suppose to be. The only thing kept them from barging headlong down the stairs, with no regards for the laws of physics at all, was the wooden radiator cover that was serving as a makeshift baby gate. An idea that Esme wisely had thought to suggest the evening before.

She had also been foreseeing enough to set the coffee maker on a timer. The o so crucial caffeine injection, made the shrieking, squealing toddler antics almost bearable…. almost. The madness reached its peak when Carlisle and Jasper each grabbed a child and carried them to the family room where the Christmas tree was set up.

Edward, who had made a beeline for the kitchen, missed the jaw-droppings, eye-popping 'what's-all-that stuff-under-the-tree' moment. A slight miscalculation of course, but he wasn't going to fret over it. Not when he knew the female half of the family had been busy snapping photos like a bunch of maniacs all morning. Every expression, every word, every gesture was bound to be well documented. In fact, Rosalie hit jackpot when she managed to catch both tree tipping incidents on video - a sure YouTube viral hit in the making, or so she claimed.

.

…..

.

Bella woke up somewhat disoriented, not quite remembering where she was and unsure if she should get out of bed or not. She tried to sit up but something was pulling her arm back, she looked and saw the I.V. needle at the back of her hand. And just like that the pieces came together. The pale, white walls were not part of some trendy interior décor. This was not the Cullen's guestroom. This was not vacation. This was not home. No, this was a hospital room. The I.V. bag, the pulse sensor on her fingertip, the waist-worn fetal heart rate detector (that itched worse than anything she had ever worn), along with everything else that came with the room were all placed there for very specific reasons. She knew what each one of those devices were for, what they were suppose to monitor, but she didn't want her mind to wander down that specific path.

There would be no angst, no stress, and no high blood pressure. She was awake and being awake was better than not waking up at all…. Everything was going to turn out fine. She vowed to keep her head filled with positive thoughts, and positive thoughts only.

Sadly, it only took an hour or so before her determination was put to the test.

It was around a quarter to seven, when an orderly rolled in the breakfast tray and Bella was forced to acknowledge that there was this one tiny detail she had… well not forgotten, but pushed to the back of her mind; it wasn't just any morning, it was Christmas morning. She saw the mini tinsel that the tray was decorated with and immediately her mind was plagued by an onslaught of conflicting emotions. If there were any two things that ever went together, it would be Christmas and children. Her stomach started to roll, and she knew that an emotional breakdown was imminent. Thoughts of babies and choices, wants and needs, and consequences came crashing down all at once. There was no way she was getting through this day without letting the stress of it all get to her.

She had way to many hours to kill before the ultrasound, way too much time to dwell on her alone-ness, and no one, or nothing, to distract her. She didn't even have her phone.

Then something utterly unexpected happened. Irina, the brassy haired nurse from the day before, the chatty one with the too much, too dramatic looking makeup, entered the room in a bustling manner. Although the woman was clad in uniform, she quickly made it clear that her visit more a social call than a professional one. She was getting off a double shift, but didn't want to leave without popping in to say goodbye to her favorite patient.

Strange, Bella couldn't remember exchanging more than a few brief words with the woman. Even stranger was that the nurse insisted that she had something on her phone that she wanted to share. It made absolutely no sense, until she turned the display in Bella's direction that is….

It was a photo, showing not one, but two familiar faces. Tony and Edward, in front of the Christmas tree. Wrapping paper and ribbons were strewn all over the living room and the tree looked like it taken a hit and lost a few branches at some stage. Edward looked absolutely wiped, he was clearly exhausted, but struggling not to show it. The little boy on the other hand looked ecstatic, beaming with uncontained excitement. Both of them were pajama clad and sporting particularly identical bed heads.

It wasn't posed, it wasn't staged, however the moment captured on camera seemed to be a rather private one, and the photo was bordering on being intrusive almost. Bella didn't get a creepy vibe from it, though. Perhaps because it came with a text message that read 'Children are blessings and who wouldn't want a lot of blessings -Es'. She could only think of one person that could have sent that message; Edward's mother… Esme evidently knew this nurse, though calling them friends seemed greatly exaggerated. Bella would have to ask about their connection later…and who's idea this had been and if Edward was aware that his mother was up to? So many questions, so little time.

The moment passed faster than it had come. Nurse Irina didn't have time to stick around for more than a few minutes, but those few minutes with that precious, precious photo lifted Bella's mood tremendously. Funny how something so small could make all the difference in the world. It also helped that Dr. Barnett came by shortly thereafter offering some uplifting news. Her vitals had improved, not a lot, but still encouragement of the best kind.

The morning progressed much faster from that point on. A nurse's aide came by to give her a shower. An experience that was both incredibly refreshing and awkward at the same time. She also got her hair combed and braided, something no one had done for her since she was a kid. Actually, she vaguely remembered getting her hair and makeup done by Alice a few times when they were both teenagers. Those weren't entirely pleasant memories though, as there had been tweezers, tons of hair pins and plenty of brutal force involved.

The nurse aide, who was an older grandmother-looking lady, turned out to be a veteran at untangling wet knotted hair. Much unlike Alice, she had a gentle touch with the comb, so much so that the whole experience had a strangely soothing effect on Bella's frazzled nerves.

By the time Dr. Cullen knocked on her door, she was calm as cucumber… or would have been, if it wasn't for this one new pressing issue that had presented itself – the matter of keeping an over-full bladder from busting because of all the water she had been forced to drink in preparation for the ultrasound scan.

.

…

.

Stockings were explored, presents were opened, and a breakfast of homemade cinnamon rolls and chocolate chip pancakes was consumed. Anthony enjoyed it all, but appeared to be more enamored with the strawberry flavored yogurt than anything else.

The impressive pile of new toys would most likely win out in the long run, though. Edward was fairly certain that the chew-friendly, drool resistant toy replica of a smart phone that Alice had bought for the boy would be a big hit. There was also a flashing bouncing ball with sound effects that looked pretty neat. Neat and noisy… Probably payback for the trumpet Edward had bought for Elliott the year before. There was that karma shit again.

After the general dust had settled, they all got dressed and piled into cars for a trip into town. Yes, all of them, as in the entire Cullen clan. Edward wasn't sure whether to be relieved or annoyed that they were insisting on tagging along. Thankfully, they didn't all head for the hospital, though. Rose took her boys for a mid-morning Christmas service at the church she used to attend as a child and Jasper was sent off to deliver Esme's annual contribution of clothes and toys to the Forks Women's Emergency Shelter. This left Edward with his parents, his sister and Anthony to hide behind. That's what moral support was for, right? To hide behind and to keep you from bolting when things get complicated…

Alice had already called him out on stalling a handful of times. Though, he still maintained that the first time didn't count. Hey, of course showering was bound to take hours, when it was the first one with a decent temperature and sufficient water pressure since the storm hit!

The other four times… well, he wasn't stalling per say, just making sure he wouldn't have to set foot inside that hospital room until the very last minute. He still wasn't sure how to feel or what to say; still waiting for some sort of clarity to hit.

His nerves reached a new high when he found out that the ultrasound specialist was running late.

"Flat tire." his father, the traitor, said with a quick glance at his watch. "She should be here in another half an hour or so."

There was no doubt in Edward's mind, that his father had purposely waited with delivering this piece of news until they were right outside Bella's hospital room.

"Wonderful," he grumbled. "I love waiting! Waiting rocks! Waiting is the best thing ever." He looked around for an escape, but his mother stepped in his way .

"Aww, it's nice to hear you sound psyched about something for once," she teased him with a wide smile.

"I don't think 'psyched' is the word, mom," Alice laughed, giving Edward a little jab in the arm. "I'd say he's nervous."

"Try down right scared," his father joined in on the teasing.

"Great! I could be facing news about serious medical complications today, and you guys are poking fun of my jittery nerves," Edward shook his head. "Can we at least go down to the cafeteria, so that I can get another shot of caffeine and light up a smoke in, while we wait?"

"We could, but I was going to suggest we bring Tony to see his favorite girl now before the real excitement begins," Esme suggested. "If you're nervous Edward, I'm willing to bet it's a lot worse for Isabella. I'm willing to bet she could use some encouraging words just about now."

"Excellent idea, love," Carlisle, nodded in approval. "Stay put! I'll go check if she's up for visitors."

.

…..

.

"So this means we have a small delay." Dr. Cullen explained, looking at her over the rim of his glasses.

"Hmm," Bella scrunched her face into a frown. Was it inappropriate to do Kegle exercises in front of her baby daddy's daddy? The nurses all swore it was suppose to keep help the bladder muscle relax.

"How do you feel about visitors?"

"In general or… ?"

"There's someone who's very eager to see you."

"Who? Edward?" Her heart soared in the most ridicules way and she had to remind herself to breath and keep calm and… Kegel away Swan, kegel away…

"Well, Edward is here too, but the one I was talking about is toddler-sized, toothy-grinned and comes with two handlers."

"You brought Tony here?" She realized the prospect of a visit from Anthony warmed her heart almost as much as the thought of seeing the little guy's father.

"Yep, along with Alice and Esme. What do you say, can they come in and see you? I might even be able to persuade Edward to join in. "

"Well, in that case, I guess it's alright…" she gave him a small smile. "As long as you promise it won't cause any further delays," she hurried to add. " I hate to sound like a cranky whiner, but…."

"But you want to get to the exciting part as soon as possible."

"Precisely! Though, I'm not sure exciting is the word I would have used. It's not an adjective I associate with a place like this. No offence."

"None taken. I realize this environment can be a bit of a downer, especially during the holidays."

"Yeah, I can't say I'm feeling the Christmas spirit. Actually, I should warn you, I'm probably worse than Scrooge and the Grinch combined. Also I have an overfilled bladder that is THIS close to revolting on me. " She motioned with her thumb and pointer finger, showing a very thin space. "So if we could maybe hurry things along here a little…"

"Ah, duly noted," Carlisle laughed. "I'll be quick," he promised, before bowing out of the room.

.

-.

.

The first thing Edward noticed upon entering the room was that all the wires, all the strange looking devices and the beeping monitors were still there; yet another reminder that there was a real, very tangible health threat involved in all of this. Not for the first time he found himself torn between his heart and his head. He was just as ill prepared for the conflict now as he had been during those first critical hours when he had been glued to her bedside. There was a big difference between then and now though; Bella was awake now… awake, alert, and ready to confront him, no doubt.

However, five minutes in the room and she had yet to meet his gaze. She hadn't said much either… or, well, anything really, since Alice had started talking. She did, however, flash a reassuring, if slightly trembling, smile in Tony's direction, when they boy clamored for her attention.

He was squirming in Edward's arms, evidently confused as to why wasn't allowed to go to his 'Bewa'. Yes, there was name chanting involved.

"Can I say hello?" Bella asked in a quiet, almost frail voice. "I mean, if it's okay?"

"Yes, of course-" "Certainly -" Esme and Carlisle spoke at the same time.

Bella laughed uncomfortably, "Thanks, but the question was actually for Edward. "I understand if he… err..." she hesitated and then, finally, there was eye contact. "…if you want to keep him away from me, but…. "

"Christ Bella!" Edward felt a surge of anger, and something else he couldn't identify, churning inside him. "Admittedly, you're not my favorite person at the moment, but to use a child to punish someone is just wrong," he declared, hoisting the squirming child higher up on his hip. "I didn't bring him here to dangle him in front of you and then yank him away. I'm not that cruel. I brought him here, because he's asked for you…. more times than I can count, more times than he has asked for his mo-…. No I'm not calling her that," he shook his head. "…the woman he spent his first two years with."

"I've missed him too," Bella whispered. "I didn't realize how attached … how painful the reality of never seeing him again would be."

Edward felt his face turn into a frown. "You made that decision yourself. You're the one that's been counting the days until you could leave and go home."

"I know. I though it was the right decision. I thought I was doing us all a favor, but then the roof fell and…." she paused when a shudder made her voice catch in her throat. "Contemplating your own mortality makes you reassess a lot of things."

"Woa-…" Edward fumed. It wasn't fair of her to remind him of such things when he had enough trouble to deal with the situation as it was. How dare she play games with his emotions like that! He opened his mouth to give Her-High-and-Mighty-ness a piece of his mind. Before he could say anything too impulsive though, he was, effectively (not to mention quite painfully) interrupted by a brutal, toddler-sized elbow to his solar plexus.

"Ow!" He bit back a curse and glared at the little boy. "Hey, spider monkey… If you don't stop moving right this moment…."

'Hush, no need to raise your voice like that, Edward!' Esme reached for the bundle of flailing arms and legs gathering him into her arms. 'C'mere, Sweet pea!" she cooed soothingly. "As for you two, "she said pointing towards Bella and Edward. "… it appears obvious that you need to talk … in private."

Carlisle cleared his throat. "Alice, I believe this is our cue to go get some coffee."

"No!" Edward almost shouted, earning a few looks from his family. "No one is leaving! Privacy is the last thing we need. There isn't time for this now... Not enough time and too many distractions."

Alice, bless her heart, hummed in agreement. "I'm getting an definite stressed-out vibe here. Stress is something we want to avoid, right?"

"Edward," Bella spoke his name with a trace of exasperation in her tone. "We really need to talk."

"We really do, yes," he agreed. "But not now. You have to give me time to process. If we deal with this now, we would have to talk about things we're not ready to talk about. Well, things I'm not ready to talk about anyway."

"I understand," Bella said, though it was evident by her tone that she did not understand at all. "I just wish-..:"

Whatever she had been about to say was cut short by a sudden and rapid knock on the door.

"Ms. Swan, it's time to move you to an exam room."

.

.


	46. Chapter 45 - It's a bird, it's a plane

**AN: I promise this story will move forward in the next few chapters, but first the mandatory ultrasound chapter…**

* * *

**Chapter 45 - It's a bird, It's a plane, No, It's super shy baby curled up like a pretzel**

**.**

"Ba ba ba," Tony blabbed, patting Bella's cheek a little too enthusiastically.

She pulled a face, and then pretended to bite his fingers. He giggled, withdrawing his hand, before going at it again. Though the boy was charmingly adorable, he was also a source of aggravation at the moment - stealing her attention, making it difficult to focus and darn near impossible lie still… and she needed to lie still.

"This is fun and all, but Tony you're making me fall off the table!" she groaned, looking up at the giggling child.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Edward look over and stare at her for a moment, then as if he'd finally understood what she had said, he turned to his sister. "Earth to Alice, you're slacking again!'

"Sorry. I know I promised to keep the little guy entertained, but this is so exiting!"

"Alice!"

"I know, I know... you'll throw us out if there are any more interruptions," she said, grabbing a firmer hold on the boy in her arms, taking two, three small steps back. "Look, I'll go stand over here. You won't even know we're in the room."

"Shall we continue?" asked the white-coated woman, conducting the ultrasound exam. " I'm afraid it's all back and butt, again. Either we have a shy baby or a troublemaker on our hands," she joked, shifting the probe down toward Bella's pubic bone.

She wasn't just an ultrasound tech, as Carlisle had led them to believe. No, Dr. Sallie Hoffman was an actual certified Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist with an interest in fetal growth restriction and developmental abnormalities; the best in the area.

Dr. Cullen had explained that he had feared neither Bella nor Edward would have gotten any sleep, had he told them that he though getting a second opinion from a specialist was not only necessary, but crucial the future outcome of the pregnancy. Though, in virtually the same breath, he also assured them that he would never allow for Alice or Anthony to stay in the room for the exam if he thought there was anything seriously wrong with the baby.

"Bella, I'm going to press down on your belly a little," Dr. Hoffman announced, bringing Bella back from her thoughts. "The baby is being stubborn. Bear with me a few seconds while I try to get it to turn."

"Shocker, the little bugger is both stubborn and uncooperative," Edward muttered, though a smile was twitching up the corners of his mouth

"Gee, wonder who that comes from?" Bella retorted, then hissed slightly when she felt a change of pressure. "Oofff that's my bladder!"

"There! This is a better angle. See that string of pearls? That's the spinal column."

"Wow, did you guys see that?" Alice interrupted, her eyes glued to the screen where a clear outline of a fetus was evident. "She's waving at us!"

"No, " Edward interjected "I believe HE just flipped you off."

"Actually, that was a foot, "Carlisle chuckled, to which Esme immediately started giggling. "Oh, I actually thought it was a penis."

"Cute, but can we get back to measuring whatever it is that needs to be measured," Bella suggested, feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the hoopla she was surrounded with.; overwhelmed and in dire need of a bathroom break.

Seriously, what had she been thinking when she had agreed to have this many people in the room for this? The answer was; she hadn't been thinking. Alice had pretty much twisted her arm… plus it had been obvious that Edward didn't want them to leave his side… not to mention, it had seemed easier and faster, to just go along with it… and faster was good. In fact the faster, the better…

"I'm not joking about my bladder being about to burst," she felt the need to point out, though it should be pretty obvious from the way she was squirming on the table. "I'm clenching my thighs together so tightly at this point that I'm pretty sure I can crack walnuts between them."

"That doesn't sound very comfortable. Try crossing your legs instead," Dr. Hoffman suggested with a smile.

"Is that allowed?"

"This isn't a torture chamber. I know it's hard to relax, but being too tense can have the opposite effect. Try not to think about it."

"Right, easy-peacy," Bella grumbled, as she followed the advice given and crossed her legs. "Trying NOT to think about something is actually a foolproof way to ensure you will think about it even more."

"Let's think about something entirely different then for a moment." Dr. Hoffman suggested, turning back to the ultrasound machine where she pressed a few keys that caused a set of lines and numbers appear on the screen. "There you go. The fetus measure 5.12 inches from crown-to-rump."

"Crown-to-rump?" Edward repeated the unfamiliar term.

"That means from the skull vertex to the midpoint between the apices of the buttocks."

"Oh, okay."

Bella tilted her head to the sideand followed the faint white line. It certainly looked more like a baby now, compared to the first time she'd had seen it… or an alien hybrid maybe… There were tentacle-like limbs sticking out in different directions, but truth be told she could hardly tell the arms from the legs. The head was easy to locate though, as it looked huge compared to the rest of the body. It was also the first body part that the doctor had chosen to examine more closely.

She had shown them the nose, the lips, the eye sockets and of course the brain. It was kind of freaky that you could already see the actual brain structure and the way it was divided in two separate spheres. Next up for a close-up had been the heart and the main vessels. It had taken forever to obtain a proper four-chambers view, but hearing the doctor say that no abnormalities could be detected, had been a relief unlike no other

This was probably the point where, in the movies, the parents-to-be would join hands andbawl their eyes out. Bella braved a glance over at Edward, but nope, no watery or glassy eyes…not one single tear and sadly there had been no hand holding either.

Edward had been looking a bit awed though through out the whole exam, so chances were that he would warm up to this baby, just like he was slowly but surely warming up to Anthony. If this little one actually made itout of the womb alive, that is.

It was looking awfully small, even to Bella's untrained eyes, and then there was the issue of the galloping heart rate…

She must have zoned out for a bit, because the doctor had moved on from measuring the spinal column to inspect what appeared to be a.. thigh…? The woman was painstakingly thorough in her work. Next up, after checking the tickness of the arms and thigh bones, was measuring the length around the fetus's abdomen. Then she went on to show them the nifty piece of software that could be used to estimate the fetus' weight from 20 weeks until birth.

"How precise is that thing. Can you like, tell the size of her feet? Or calculate what size of clothes she will need once she is born?" Alice inquired with a furrowed brow. "Or if it is a boy, could you measure his… you know…?"

"ALICE!" Edward hissed. "That's disturbing, even for you !"

"What?! Those are relevant questions."

"Don't worry. She's not the first one to ask ," Dr. Hoffman laughed. "The answer is I could measure and calculate all those things, assuming it's a boy, and assuming he is willing to cooperate of course."

"Elliott, that's our other grandson, was very cooperative." Carlisle supplied, with a chuckle. " Let me tell you, he was sure a very proud boy, flaunting his "stuff" BIG time. He even peed right when his daddy got his first look. However, the way this baby is napping, all curled up like a little pretzel, I doubt we'll see anything of the sorts today."

"It's so funny when you can tell they have a little personality already in the womb," Esme mused, "Some babies will give you the money shot straight away, while others are shy and will make you wait for it."

"I don't want to know the sex of the baby. I told you that before we even got started," Bella reminded them with a frown.

"Don't worry. In order to determined the gender you'll need to get a good look at the relevant area and so far we've seen nothing that could spoil the surprise for you."

"I don't care if it's a boy or a girl, I just want it to be healthy. A healthy sized baby, with a healthy and normal beating heart."

"Growth-wise I'd say the fetus about is two weeks behind on the charts, but measuring small does not necessarily mean that there is anything wrong."

Carlisle was nodding in agreement. "So monthly ultrasounds from now on, to keep track on how the fetus is growing and developing?"

"Yes, that would be my recommendation. Though, you should know, that other than it being a bit on the small side, I haven't seen anything too alarming during this exam. All of the organs are there and formed. The brain structure looks good. The spinal column is formed and closed. The heart and all the four chambers appear to be working, if not perfectly then at least passably for the time being."

"But the heart rate-…"

"Try not to worry too much," Dr. Hoffman suggested. "At this point, it's a waiting game. The best thing you can do now is calm down, take care of yourself and avoid getting into stressful situations."

"I know, it's just…. It's just crazy how something SO tiny can…can…ugh," she broke off, gesturing with her hands, searching for the right words.

"…can make my entire body feel out of whack," she finally settled for, at the same time as Edward blurted. "…can cause such a big commotion."

"Ha, you call this commotion," Bella let out a small laugh, feeling some of her anxiety disappear. "Wait until we tell Renee we're making her a grandmother, that's when the real commotion begin!"

.

* * *

.

It really was...fucking crazy.

A beating heart the size of a small grape…

Over the past two days Edward had come to accepted the fact that Bella was pregnant with his child, but to see that child growing inside her belly was surreal.

It already had arms and legs and tiny little fingers and toes. He had even seen its face, with small, small lips and a button nose and everything. That face would soon be cooing, drooling, burping at him… er, on him… hopefully… assuming that the little bugger kept growing and developing like he or she should..

"So, we are nearing the end of this baby tour," Dr. Hoffman announced, lifting the probe off of Bella's stomach. The screen went black and Edward heard Bella mutter a strained 'Finally!' beneath her breath.

The doctor caught it as well and chuckled a bit. "Unless, of course, you've changed your mind and want me to try and determined the sex of the baby after all," she said in a light-hearted manner. "What do you say 'daddy'? Last chance, before I wipe the gel off…"

Edward looked up in surprise, having not expected to be addressed in such a direct way. "Well, if you ask me, I wouldn't mind knowing what we're having, but it appears as though I don't have much say on the matter," he shrugged, choosing to act like it didn't bother him, when, in actuality, it bothered him a great deal.

Bella had been very adamant about how she felt on the subject. It surprised him the doc even bothered to bring it up again, because Bella had made it perfectly clear she did not want to know the gender beforehand. Not necessarily because she wanted to be surprised, but because she didn't want to get too attached in case, God forbid, something were to go wrong.

As expected, Bella head was moving from side to side in a "no" gesture. Then, when Edward's words registered with her, she sighed exasperatedly. "It just seem too soon. I haven't even felt it moving yet. What if something goes wrong?"

"What kind of talk is THAT? Nothing will go wrong, alright!" Edward stated with conviction.

"You can't know that for sure," Bella argued.

He scanned her face, knowing from her expression that there was no way he was getting her to budge. He tried anyway. "You may think you're protecting yourself from getting hurt by not putting a name or a face to it, but that doesn't change the fact that this little fellow is as real as they get," he stated, trying to keep a polite and conversational edge to his voice. "Hiding your head in the sand and hoping for the best is never a solution to any problems."

"No… Just no.. " she said, shaking her head again. "I'm sorry….I really don't want to know the sex of the baby at this point. Please respect my wishes, alright!"

Edward leaned forward, until he was almost in her face. "Only if you acknowledge that I have the right to be a part of this decision too," he demanded. It wasn't as much the suspense of not knowing as it was the principle that bothered him. He should have a say too. Not just about this, about everything concerning this baby.

He hadn't had time figure out the logistics of it yet, but he would figure it out. There was just no way he would let her take his child away from him and raise it on her own. No way… Their lives were about to be linked for the next eighteen years or so – if only to the extent that they would be co-parenting a child together.

"You guys don't have to settle this right here, right now," his mother, the mediator, hurried to intervene before the argument could degenerate further. "There will be more opportunities, right doctor Hoffman?"

"Absolutely. You wouldn't believe how often I see couples disagreeing over this matter. So often in fact that I have a ready-made solution. How about this... I'll have a look, write down what I see on a piece of paper that I put in an envelope for you to take home with you leave. That way you'll have all the time in the world to decide if and when you want to find out the gender of your baby."

"That sounds like a wonderful compromise," Esme responded in an overly chipper voice.

"I second this," Alice clapped her hands in delight. "You can have a big reveal party and make a special occasion out of it," she suggested, and then, in true Alice-fashion, began talking a mile-a-minute about dinner party ideas, baby-themed party favors, decorations and something about a betting pool.

"No party!" Bella looked horrified at even the mere thought of one. "I'm serious Edward, I will castrate you and hand you your family jewels on a platter if you don't squash this."

"Right, no party, I agree with you there…. But please let me have this," Edward pleaded. "I have missed out on so much with Anthony… and now with this new baby, I feel like I was the last one to know…" He knew it was a low blow but she was starting to scare him with her pessimism.

"Fine!" she finally caved. Sighing she turned to the doc asking, "Is there any way we can do this like super quick?"

Her question was almost drowned when Alice whooped in triumph and started twirling Anthony around in some sort of crazy victory dance.

"Alice," Bella groaned. "No party, I mean it!"

"But I-…"

"Quiet down, people!" Dr. Hoffman laughed, shushing them. "This is another argument you don't have to settle right this very moment. Let's keep the party spirit though. It might be just what we need get the baby moving. Now Bella, there are a few things we can try. The fastest way is usually to drink something that's high on sugar. Fruit juice is known to work wonders."

Bella's face turned at least three shades paler, "Uh-uh… Not going to happen. Crossing and uncrossing me legs here, remember?"

"Ah, of course, I see…Well, in that case we could try putting a bit more pressure on your belly. It did work last time, remember? We got a little foot action out of it."

"Eh, isn't there ANYTHING else we can try."

"Well, a simple change of position will sometimes get a baby moving even if only momentarily. You can try rolling to the side, get up and walk around or even just sit up and then lay back down."

"I guess I can do that," she agreed, slowly swinging her legs over the edge of the table. She got to her feet, ignoring the hand Edward offered her. "Now what? Should do jumping jacks or squats or something?"

"No need to overdo it. Take a walk around the room and move your hips from side to side a few times."

"Come on Bella, shake that booty!" Alice said cheerfully. "Me and Tony can show you how it's done. Right Tony?" she added, launching herself into another series of crazy dance moves, causing Tony to squeal in delight in her arms.

"Bounce, bounce," the boy chanted, enthusiastically.

Bella rolled her eyes at the two of them, but gave them a little cha-cha move on her own.

"That's right. Bounce that belly jelly!" Alice laughed, while Tony giggled hysterically.

"Okay, enough excitement," Bella stuck her tongue out at them, making her way back to the table. "And no talk about jelly right now. Actually, make that no talk about pee, fluids, food or anything liquid, semi-liquid or gel like substances, alright!"

"Party pooper!"

"Also no talk about poop, or parties!"

"Not much left to talk about then," Alice huffed in mock exasperation.

"I know something we can talk about, " Esme's face lit up with as an idea apparently occurred to her. "Have you given any thought to how you're going to tell Anthony?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" Bella inquired, her expression morphed into a confused frown.

"I think she means telling Anthony about the baby," Edward supplied with a faint smile.

"Yes, that's what I meant. This would actually be a good time to not only to explain, but also show him, that you have his little brother or sister in your belly. I think visual aids will make it easier for him to grasp."

"But what if something goes wrong… It's too early… It woul-…"

"Yeah mom, isn't it a bit early? He's only two years old, he's not going to understand this."

"He's almost three. And you need to start preparing him for what's about to happen. Trust me you don't want him to feel left out. They'll be close in age. There will be enough sibling rivalry without him thinking that he is being pushed away."

"God, I would never… We would never do anything deliberately to make him feel left out," Bella hurried to interject

"Yeah, what she said," Edward hummed in agreement. "I see your point, though. We should probably start preparing him. The sooner, the better."

"Can I tell him?" Alice asked. " I know exactly how to do this. It's just like putting on a puppet show." She touched a finger to her brow as if tipping an imaginary hat, then she bowed and began speaking in a sing-song tone of voice, "Ladies and gentlemen, let me present; the doctor lady with the magic wand and the mystery of the belly monster."

Anthony, of curse, looked instantly intrigued, but also a little scared, no doubt still remembering the last time his auntie put on a show for him.

"No offence Alice, but I prefer to handle this on my own," Edward declared, with a roll of his eyes. "Dad, you haven't said anything. Do you agree that today is the right time for this?" he asked, turning to Carlisle for advice.

"This is as good as time as any, but it's not my permission you need, son," his father said, with a pointed look in the direction of the exam table where Bella was shaking her head, turning her face towards the ceiling.

"Bella?"

"God help me, I'm such a pushover these days. Bring him over here already," she grumbled. "I swear, this is turning into the longest ultrasound exam in history."

"Hey Tony, I miss you buddy. Will you come and sit with me for a while?" Edward cooed, lifting the boy out of his sister's arms before he returned to his assigned seat by Bella's side.

"I've got something we want to show you. Do you remember when we listened to your heart and you lungs with grandpa C's stethoscope?" he asked, tapping the boys chest, imitating the rhythm of a beating heart. "Tap-tap, tap-tap, tap-tap."

Confused, the child scanned the room, until his glance landed at Carlisle. "I have?" he asked stretching his arms out.

"Nah, it's his day off. He didn't bring his doctor stuff. You know what, though, Tony? We have something that's better than a stethoscope. You see this lady over here. She too is a doctor and I happen to know that she has this really super cool magic wand."

The boy squinted first at his father, then at the doctor, as if trying to decide whether he was getting his leg pulled or not.

"You see it? She has it right there in her hand."

"I have?" This time he pouted, sticking his bottom lip out, like the two-year-old he was.

"Nope, the doctor is going to use it to see why Bella's stomach have been getting so big lately."

"Is big?"

"Yeah, its been growing kinda big, don't you think?" Edward couldn't help but smirk a little while he patted the bare skin on the side of Bella's exposed mid section. His hand ended up slick with lubricating jell, but it was totally worth it, seeing the annoyed-yet-amused expression on her face.

He was about to tease her about it, when the whooshing sound from the ultrasound machine filled the room and his eyes were drawn to the screen. "If you look at the TV thingy over there Tony, you can see what Bella has been hiding inside her belly."

"No," Tony shook his head, looking at his daddy rather than at the screen. "In my belly!"

"No silly, no need to look inside your belly. We already know what's in there; pizza and cinnamon rolls and lots and lots of cookies."

"I eat."

"Yes, you ate them and now they are in your belly."

"Look, what do we have here?!" Dr Hoffman exclaimed, trying to subtly get Edward back on the right track again. "I think someone wants to say hello!"

"Yeah, look at the screen Tony! What do you think that is?"

"Isa creem?" the boy suggested, turning his head to the side while studying the image before him.

"Ice cream? I dunno…" Edward laughed, shifting the boy in his lap so that he could point at the screen. "There's a head and an arm, and look two feet. It doesn't look like ice cream to me."

"Is a head?"

"It's a baby, Tony! Bella has a baby n her belly."

"Nu uh!" the child protested, shaking his head vehemently.

"You don't believe me? Look again! It's a baby, I'm not kidding you."

"A baba?"

"Yes, a baby. You're going to be a big brother."

"Bewah eat a baba?" Tony asked, looking seriously confused.

This time it was Bella's turn to laugh. "Oh, no honey. I didn't eat it. It just lives there until it's big enough to come out and meet you."

"Isa baba?"

"I know it sounds crazy right," Alice butted in, leaning over to ruffle Tony's hair. "I didn't believe it at first either, but they are telling the truth. Bella really DO have a baby in her belly."

"NO", the toddler growled, pushing her hand away. "No eat baba, ina belly."

"That's right, you can't eat babies," Alice agreed, hiding a smile behind her hand. "You see, what happened is that your daddy put his seed i-…"

"Whoa! I think that's enough explaining for today," Edward cut her off, leaping to his feet. "Mom, take the kid outside. Help him to a treat from the vending machine or something."

"Certainly! Come to nana," Esme suppressed a laugh and stretched her arms out to move the boy over to her hip.

"Geez Eddie, overreacting much," Alice sniggered. "I wasn't going to go into specifics or anything. I just figured he'd understand better if you explain to him how seeds can be planted and grow into living things. "

"Oh, good idea! We could let him plant bean sprout in a paper cup."

"Mom, weren't you leaving," Edward reminded her.

"Right….We're going now. Come on sweetheart! Let's go look if we can find some soda."

At the mention of soda, Bella let out a pitiful groan, her facial expression turning alarmingly strained. "Ugh, I don't know how much more of this I can take."

"Well, then you'll be glad to know that I've seen what I needed to see," the doctor told her with a smile.

"Really? Just like that?"

"Yes, it happened very fast, but sometimes one brief glimpse is all you need."

"Does that mean I can…?"

"Yes, go ahead! We're done here."

Bella literally jumped off the table. "Oh my goodness, thank you!"

.

* * *

.

"So…." he trailed off.

"So…" she mimicked in a dull, lagging tone.

One second stretched into five, then ten, then half a minute.

"So, I'm gonna leave now, " Edward said, breaking the odd silence. "We're going to leave now. Right Al? "

Alice merely hummed in reply, too caught up in taking photos of the ultrasound pictures with her phone to engage in conversation. Hence the awkward silence.

"You know, Christmas dinner and everything…" he added, turning back to Bella.

"Right, of course. You wouldn't want to miss that. Your mom's cooking is sure to be awesome," she replied, glancing at the clock on the wall. "Maybe you could bring me some leftovers tomorrow? If you were planning on coming back tomorrow? I mean, you don't have to… I understand if you don't want to." she rambled, getting a little flustered.

"No, I'll definitely try and be here." He gave a light shrug, not meeting her eyes. "I'll just need to find a way to work up the… courage, strength, or whatever it is that makes 'this' so difficult," he paused to motion between the two of them a few times. "I realize it can't be fun spending Christmas in a hospital and I know I'm at least partly to blame for all this so…"

Bella shook her head, but before she could say anything, Alice rushed to intervene. "Hey, do not start the blame game again. Accept responsibility, apologize, fix it if possible, and move on."

"You're such a hypocrite, Alice. I swear no one can hold a grudge better than you."

"Must run in the family then," his sister threw back at him, as she proceeded to put her phone away. She turned to Bella to return the pictures. "We really do need to go now, but I promise I'll have him back here bright and early in the morning."

"Don't force him. If he doesn't want to be here he can just stay away."

"He DOES want to be here."

"I can speak for myself," Edward said, looking mildly amused, but also very, very tired. "Listen, I can't give you an exact timeline. I still need time to process… well, the things I need to process. The only thing I can promise you is that I will try to be an adult about it. I am planning on being around - so much you'll probably get sick of me."

"Lucky me," Bella commented dryly. "For someone that's not ready to talk, you sure do a lot of talking."

"Right, okay so…uhm leaving now," Edward said, giving her what seemed an odd, almost hurt sort of look.

"I'm sorry, that was uncalled for." She fiddled with the sheet covering her as she spoke. "I know you need to get going but… I just want to say thanks for bringing Tony around. I really appreciate it!"

"You're welcome, but really I'm the one that should be saying thanks," he countered, firmly. When she raised her eyebrows he went on to explain, "The ultrasound. It was… uhm interesting."

"Awkward you mean?"

"No, well that too, but mostly it was interesting, as in thought provoking, awe-inspiring, surreal… "

"Okay, just checking. You didn't say much during it, so I wasn't sure."

"I'm sorry," he sighed, and runs his hand over the back of his head in a frustrated gesture. "I'm sorry I'm not jumping for joy and running to the nearest Babies R Us just yet."

"I know you need time. You've said it repeatedly already. Besides shopping? Isn't that's what we have Alice for?" Bella suggested, earning herself a dirty look from her shopaholic friend.

Edward snorted and Alice elbowed him in the ribs.

"Well, don't come to me when you need a babysitter."

"Please, you'll be volunteering before the umbilical cord is even cut."

"Will not," she laughed, pulling her brother towards the door. "Edward, we should get going."

"Oh wait, I almost forgot!" Bella called out, causing them to halt their steps. "My phone…" she trailed off, giving Alice a pointed look.

"Edward has it. Don't you Edward?" Alice replied, all but clapped her hands together. It was obvious that she had done her part of the deal.

"Uhm sure… "he sighed, reaching into the pocket of his coat. "It's right here. You want it back?"

"I need the phone number to my obstetrician," Bella explained. "If you could look in the contact list under M for Montgomery."

He held the phone out to her. "Probably faster if you look for it yourself."

"I'm not too sure about that. My shoulder is giving me all sorts of hell. Besides your dad is the one that needs the contact info, so I was counting on you to write it down and deliver it to him."

"Fine, I'll do it," Edward huffed, bringing the phone to life with a swipe.

" Let me see if I have a pen," Alice offered, digging through her purse.

"What was the name again?" Edward inquired.

"Montgomery," Bella reminded him, then drew a deep breath. "Look, I wasn't going to ask yet, but seeing as you have the phone out… Have you had time to listen to the mes-…"

"Don't!" he silenced her with dark eyes.

"I know it is a lot to ask. "

"A lot?! There are like hundreds of them. Was there anything in particular you wanted me to hear, because in my ears they all tend to blend into one endless rant of nonsense and nothingness."

"Ouch! I suppose I deserved that."

Just then, the phone in Edward's hand started ringing, causing them all to jump.

"Jesus," Alice gasped, clutching a hand to her chest. "Who is it?"

Edward's eyebrows furrowed as he looked at the screen. "Remember what you said about commotion. Bella?"

"Yeah," she answered after a moment's confusion. "You're kidding!"

"Nope," he said popping the p. "I'm afraid not. Do you want to speak with her?"

"Not now, no," she grimaced. "Hit ignore."

"It's Christmas day. Don't you think she'll keep calling and cause all kinds of trouble when she can't reach you?"

"Maybe, but I don't want to speak with her right now."

"Alright, how about you let me deal with it then?"

"No, I don't think that's such a go-…"

Edward waved away her concern, " I'll deal with it."

Pressing the green accept button, he brought the phone to his ear. "Hello Mrs. Dwyer. Filed any new restraining orders lately?"

.

* * *

**.**

**AN: Got any funny ultrasound stories to tell?**


	47. Chapter 46 - Interlude

**Chapter 46 - Interlude**

_Pressing __the green accept button, he brought the phone to his ear. "Hello Mrs. Dwyer. Filed any new restraining orders lately?"_

"…"

Edward winced and moved the phone from his ear slightly, which made Bella turn her face to the ceiling and scrunch her eyes shut.

"Why thank you Renee, I'm flattered you remember. However, don't you think it's time you stop calling me a juvenile delinquent, seeing as I've been law abiding, grown-up for many years now."

"…"

"No, she's here, but she can't get to the get on the phone right now. She's indisposed of at the moment, but I'll be sure to let her know you called. "

"…"

"I'm not lying. Like I said, she's indisposed at the moment."

Bella opened one eye to peer at him. He was only a few seconds into the conversation and he was already struggling with keeping his voice calm. Though, knowing Renee, it was truly admirable that he was even bothering to keep the conversation somewhat polite.

"Why she's indisposed? " Edward stalled, as if racking his brain for something plausible to say. "She is…"

Alice snapped her fingers, pointing at her arm. She then added some gestures that made it look like she was wrapping something around it.

Huh?

Bella wasn't thinking fast enough to catch on to what she meant, but Edward seemed to get it straight away.

"She is getting her wounds tended to. You heard about the rough weather and our car going off the road, did you not? I believe Bella spoke to your husband about it."

"…"

"My driving, my fault. No arguments there. Though, I'll have you know, that the only reason we were out on that icy road to begin with was because a certain someone was eager to get to the airport so that she could go visit her mother for the holidays."

"…"

"Oh, so you've heard about that," Edward's sounded genuinely surprised, and a little caught off guard.

"What?" Bella mouthed when she caught his expression.

He took a second to mouthed back, "The roof," before he had to focus on the phone conversation again. "Sorry what did you just say?"

"…"

"Right, they called you. Yes, that does make sense. I just didn't realize you're listed as her emergency contact," he said giving, Bella a questioning look.

"Is she really?" Alice asked in a hushed whisper.

"Really what?"

"Your emergency contact?"

"I… no, not exactly…." she whispered back, but before she could say anything else, Edward was shushing at them.

"No, that's not what happe-…."

"…"

"I hardly think that's rele-…"

"…"

"Are you for real?"

"…"

"It's called hospitality, " Edward all but roared into the phone.

Bella winced, Alice sniggered and apparently Renee quieted down long enough for Edward to get a few words in.

"The airport was closed, she needed a place to stay. You make it sound like we were holding her against her will. And for the records, the building that caved wasn't an old one and it wasn't poorly constructed, ill-maintained, or incorrectly structured. There is no one to sue or to put behind bars, so get over yourself!"

"Go, Eddie, finally growing some balls" Alice cheered him on silently, but not silently enough it seemed, because he responded by flicking her off. Placing a hand over his ear he moved to stand in the corner farthest away from them.

"Renee, you'll have to repeat that. I didn't hear you."

"…"

"No, there was just too much snow, in a too short period of time and then when the weather got warmer again, the snow simply grew too heavy. Something had to give. "

"…"

"They told you that? No, they weren't exaggerating; we could have died… all three of us."

Bella felt him looking straight at her as he said that last part.

"Yes, three. If I meant two, I would have said two. "

"Here it comes," Alice mused. She didn't have to explain what she meant. It was obvious where the conversation was heading. Obvious to everyone, but Renee it seemed.

"I'm telling you three lives could have been lost when the building collapsed. I should know, I was there."

"…"

"No one told you about a third person? Could it be that I know something you don't?"

"…"

"Listen, the reception is crap. I'm going to head outside to see if I can get more bars. I'm putting you on hold now, but I'll be right back in a few seconds." Edward pressed the mute button before Renee had a chance to respond.

"What? Wait! where are you going?" a stunned Alice asked as Edward, true to his words, actually started moving towards the door.

"I'm doing what I should have done from the start; taking this elsewhere. It's impossible to think straight with the two of you yapping in my ear. Also, this clearly isn't going to be a polite and peaceful conversation. I don't want to add any more stress than necessary."

"Yapping?! Well, excuse me for trying to help," Alice huffed at the same time as Bella too started protesting. "Edward, I'm not nearly as worked up about thisas you might think."

"You shouldn't be worked up at all."

"No, let me finish, " Bella said, holding up a hand to stop him. "I know you said you'd deal with it, that you'd deal with her, but you don't have to do this. Just tell her I'll call her in a few days. She's my mother, my headache. I should be the one to tell her."

"And have her unleash her verbal rancor on you? Forget it! I'm doing this for you and our baby. Understood?" He punctuated his words by reaching for the door handle.

"Fine," Bella sighed, head dropping back into the pillows. "Suit yourself, don't say I didn't warn you."

"She already hates me, how bad can it be?" he laughed opening the door."I'll fill you in on it later…. the watered down PG version, of course. "

Halfway outside the room, he stopped and turned back."I have an idea. Alice, send me one of those photos you just snapped. I think I'll forward it to grandma dearest. I bet she'll love that."

"Ooh, you're evil. I like it," Alice smirked.

"Later," he waved closing the door behind him. "Renee, you still there. Sorry, about that. Where were we?"

.

….

.

The door clicked shut and they grudgingly had to resign to waiting.

After a few minutes a nurse came by and made small talk while she worked, drawing Alice into conversation about the crazy weather they had just experienced and global warming and… well, something about an earthquake on the other side of the planet. Bella stayed out of it for the most part.

More time passed. Bella had her blood drawn and her body poked and her fluids monitored. Then suddenly the door swung open and Edward reappeared in the doorway. He announced his return by tossing Bella's phone on her bed and announcing "Mission accomplished, but you can forget about the watered down PG recap I promised. I don't think I've ever heard anyone spew out so much shit in so short a time, none of which is worth repeating."

Bella gave him a stern "we'll talk about this later" look, while Alice whined, "Come on you have to give us something."

"I don't have to give you anything. I only have two things to say really…. Firstly, Bella, your mother is a real piece of work. Lawd I heard so much fuckery I can't even begin to comprehend wha-…oh…." he stopped mid-sentence when he realized that there was a nurse in the room. "I'm sorry, I wasn't aware, I didn't realize… Did I interrupt anything?"

"No worries, I'm almost done," the nurse told him, barely looking up from her task of cleaning the IV port with an alcohol swab. "How's the cuts and bruises, Mr. Cullen? I'm the one that looked you over the other night."

"Oh, I didn't recognize you. Uhm, I'm fine… The cuts are fine and hardly any bruising at all."

"You said two things. What's the second?" Alice prompted, impatient to get back to the original conversation.

"Eh, what? Oh, right… I almost forgot ," Edward went back to the door and opened it again "I found this looser wandering the hallways," he said pulling a familiar figure into the room.

"So, this is where the party's at?" Seth Clearwater smirked, crossing his arms over his chest. "How come I wasn't invited? You don't love me anymore, Swan? I'm crushed."

.

…

.

**AN: I know, I know short tiny chapter.**

******I'm really sorry about that, but don't worry more is on the way...**


	48. Chapter 47 - Progress

**Chapter 47 - Progress**

…

.

"You better not be doing what I think you're doing," Bella sighed, as she caught Clearwater peaking through her chart behind her back for the umpteenth time in just as many minutes.

Well, at least he has something productive to occupy his time, instead

of leering at the poor nurse, who was taking forever to finish up her tasks. At this speed the visiting hours would be over before Bella got a chance to speak to Seth in private.

"Clearly I have some reading up to do here," Seth replied, not looking even the slightest bit guilty. "Can't believe you didn't tell me you had gone and gotten yourself insperminated, Swan! Don't I always have your back?"

"You're the one that said you didn't want to be dragged into my personal life," Bella reminded him.

"Love life," he corrected her. "And I only said that in the eventuality of another round of questions with those suits from Internal Affairs. I believe my exact words were that there is no reason for me to know anything about your love life, unless it's something that's worthy of a relationship status update on Facebook. Popping out babies sort of falls into that category, don't you think? Next thing you know, you're going to be all domesticated and housewifey and I'll be forced to partner up with Newton or Yorkie or some other loser."

"Not babies, one baby and there is nothing wrong with Yorkie." Bella made a move to grab the clipboard and whatever papers he was reading, out of his hands, but he kept them away from her.

"Have you smelled him lately? His breath smells like bad feet on a hot summer day."

"So buy him mints or gum or something. Besides, it's not like I'm going to turn all housewifey over night. I hate to burst your rosy fantasy bubble, but my relationship status is still the same. Nothing has changed on that front."

"Nothing has changed, huh? You're spending Christmas with his family."

"Because of a snowstorm and technically I'm spending it here in this very hospital room."

"You're having his baby."

"That's still months aw-… " Bella tried to interrupt his rambling, but it was apparent that she wasn't finished venting yet.

"I had to hear it from your new best friend, that scary little midget. I am hurt!" Seth huffed, pretending to be offended. "You told Alice Cullen, before you told me? I'm busting my ass off covering for you at work and this is the thanks I get?"

"Sorry, but Alice is Alice. I didn't have to tell her anything she just knew," Bella laughed, trying to get a hold of the clipboard again.

"Uh-uh, not until you explain this to me…." Seth shook his head looking serious all of a sudden. "We can't all be mind readers and psychics like Alice freaking Cullen, you know. "

"Explain what?"

"This, " he said, making a sweeping gesture to her stomach. "I know you know how contraceptives work. I know you aren't stupid, Swan. "

"Are you serious?"

Thankfully, the nurse stepped in at that point and yanked the clipboard out of Seth's hands. "I'll be needing that now, thank you very much."

"Excuse me, but this is a private conversation, do you mind?" Seth asked, sounding a bit annoyed. Truth be told, they had all but forgotten the woman was even in the he flashed her a boyish smile to make up for his somewhat short tone with her. "I mean, I hope you don't mind that I talk with your patient while you work," he amended.

"Men are an impatient lot; no restraint, no self-control or understanding of actions and consequences what so ever," the nurse pursed her lips in a disapproving manner. "I'm not saying women are any better, mind you. Many get hornier during ovulation; hornier and not as picky or careful as they, perhaps, should be. We are all are fallible and contraception doesn't always work. So there you have it…. Anything else you want to know?"

Mouths agape, they stared at the woman, who merely shrugged her shoulders and went ahead adding some sort of notes of her own to the paperwork before returning the clipboard to it's original place at the end of the bed.

Unfazed, she continued, "Don't give Ms. Swan a hard time. She doesn't need more stress right now, it's bad for the baby," she crossed her arms and gave Seth a stern stare. "Capish?"

"Yes, ma'am! Sorry about that," he sounded sincere, even ducking his head a little. "I'm just a concerned friend and coworker being… well, concerned."

"That's nice. Let me give you a piece of advise, though, " the nurse replied, wagging a finger at him. "Don't let Alice Cullen catch you calling her a midget! That won't go over well. And also, arguing over who's the better friend? What are you? a twelve year old girl?"

Seth let out a humpf sound and Bella threw her head back and laughed long and hard. It felt good.

.

….

.

It started snowing as they pulled out of the hospital's parking lot, but the snowflakes were melting before they even hit the windshield. The wipers were going back and forth, back and forth, smearing water across the glass, making Edward feel a bit queasy.

His eyes drifted shut on their own accord, but he didn't fight them. Alice was driving which meant he could lean his head back and take a cat nap. He was glad the rest of the family had already returned home. He was running on fumes and didn't feel like talking or dealing with anyone, not even his closest family, at the moment.

He was fast asleep in a matter of minutes. It wasn't a peaceful slumber though. The rhythmic sound of the wipers took him back to another time and another car.

His surroundings morphed into the interior of a more spacious, but far less modern vehicle. His subconscious mind recognized it as a nightmare almost instantly, but he didn't do anything about it, couldn't do anything about it.

There were three things he could always count on when it came to his nightmares; one, it wouldn't be a nightmare if his body didn't feel sluggish and unresponsive… two, most of his clothes would go missing at one point or another in the dream… and three, the disturbing feeling of being watched, monitored and controlled was always and everywhere present.

He was being straddled, a pair of arms around his neck. No face, no recognizable features. A mass of flesh resembling an octopus with arms like tentacles that wouldn't let him go. Edward felt hands in his hair, hands at the base of his jaw, hands running along his shoulders and then down his chest.

His mind was running rampant with panic, screamed for him to find something else to focus on… something neutral, something non toxic, something about the situation that wasn't frightening.

Pelting rain, fogged up windows, darkness… Not helping… Even if he could scream, no one would hear him in the rain, no one would see him in the darkness.

The car was blue, he realized with a startling clarity. Blue with lots of green in it, like the shallow waters of Cancun. Despite the lack of light, he could still see the color clearly on the ledge where the passenger side window met the door. He also noted the shiny galloping Mustang Horse logo at the center of the steering wheel. The old car feel was unmistakable; the chrome door handles, the manual shifter knob, th-…

His train of thoughts were interrupted by warm, shallow breaths against his neck. Tendrils of hair brushing his cheek. A bite at his ear. He tried to move, but his body wouldn't obey. Focus, focus, he commanded himself. His vision blurred. Everything began to go dark.

For a moment, there was nothing…and then, suddenly, there was pain. Not the bad kind, but the sudden kind that jolts you because it comes on so quickly. And jolt he did as the sharp point of a hairpin pricked the skin of his finger. How he knew it was a hairpin he did not know, but the sensation tugged on his sleep addled mind for attention.

While the darkness made it impossible for him to see his surroundings, he realized he could still feel and distinguish textures and objects with his hands and from that he could map out the world around him. He could only hope it would be enough to keep the panic at bay a little while longer.

Hair strands, shoulder length, perhaps longer, wet and coarse with hairspray, more hairpins…and something else, something metallic and cold. He touched it again, closed his hand around it and came to the conclusion that the object was an earring.

From there he moved down to the shoulders and what appeared to be the collar of a dress shirt. The shirt was damp just like the hair, damp and unbuttoned. In fact it appeared as though part of the fabric had been ripped, or torn, or something to that effect. There were buttons missing.

Was he responsible for that? His mind blanked and he could feel a sweat breaking out on the back of his neck as his panic level rose again. He felt lightheaded, seconds away from passing out.

Not yet, not yet… He pushed himself to go further. His fingers came in contact with something plastic… a nametag! A nametag he must have seen before his vision went blurry, a nametag with a name he must have read. He willed his brain to focus on the name.

The name was… the name was… Edward!

No that wasn't right.

He couldn't think straight. A voice was calling to him, calling his name; begging to be heard, demanding to be obeyed. Insistent hands were working their way down his chest and into his pants rubbing him to hardness.

He began shaking uncontrollably, squirming and whimpering, trying to get away… trying NOT to get away. He felt dizzy again. Nothing made sense. Did he want this? Did he not want this?

Skin on skin had never felt so confusing before. Clothes were shifted, stretchy fabric pushed aside, a skirt was hiked up and then… more naked skin.

At that moment the weight on top of him became too much. The space became too confined, the darkness too heavy. He felt as if all the air was being pressed out of his lungs until he couldn't breathe.

Edward jerked awake with a gasp that turned into a harsh coughing fit. For a moment, the nightmare lingered, then clarity hit.

He had suspected it before, but now he was certain; there were details in his dreams that were so vivid they had to be fragments actual memories.

.

….

.

"Edward, are you okay? You're shaking." Alice frowned, reaching towards the center console to crank the heat up in the car.

He gulped and nodded. "Yes… No… It's just… I was dreaming something and it was just so vivid."

"Another nightmare?" she asked unnecessarily. The shaking said it all.

Edward didn't answer straight away, but after a quick deliberation with himself he nodded and forced himself to fight the gnawing sense of dread that had crept into his bones. He could do this. If there was anyone he could talk to about this, it was Alice.

"Listen, I need to tell you something," he started. "Please don't interrupt. I need to say it straight out, okay?"

"Oh, okay, sounds serious. " She turned her head towards him briefly, before settling her eyes back on the road in front of her. "Do I need to pull over for this?"

"No," he glanced out the window to see where they were and to estimate how long it would take them to get back to their parent's place. "Keep going and keep focusing on the traffic. I don't think I can do this with you looking at me."

"No looking, no talking. I can do that."

"Hmph," he snorted, "That would be a first, wouldn't it?"

She started to protest, but he raised a hand to stop her.

"Forget I said that…I don't want to waste my time bickering with you. Like I said, I need to tell you something. I need to tell you about the dream I just had, or the cliff note version of it anyway, the important stuff, the things I want to remember."

"I know how dreams are, they fade sooo quickly, especially the ones you really want to remember."

"Exactly, so no talking! I need to get this off my chest and you're not helping!"

"Sorry, I wont say another word. Go ahead, I'm listening."

"So, this is how it goes, " He said, steeling himself for the embarrassment ahead. "I'm in the passenger seat of a car; a classic Ford Mustang, blueish in color, but with lots of green in it too."

"Turquoise?" Alice jumped in, without realizing she was interrupting again.

"Yeah, I guess turquoise is about right. It's a really old car, like the one grandpa Platt used to drive, do you remember? With the horse logo in the middle of the steering wheel and a fancy looking shift stick, lots of chrome details… and the distinct smell of the Bakelite…"

"I remember," she nodded. "So you dreamt about a car?"

"Sort of… I'm in this car and I'm not alone, someone's straddling me. I can't see the face, I never do, but I'm in the passenger seat and she's on top of me. Long hair, dark I think, but I can't be sure. Hairpins, earrings…. She's wearing a shirt, but it's wet. I think there is rain. The car windows are all fogged up. It's dark outside and yeah, I'm pretty sure it's raining. " He paused to draw a deep breath.

"There are buttons missing, like the shirt has been ripped or torn… Everything is black and white. I don't know if that means that her clothes are black and white, or if that's just my mind playing tricks on me… She's in a skirt or dress or something with stretchy fabric. Oh and there is a nametag. She wears a plastic nametag."

"I don't suppose you know her name?"

"No. There is talking going on, but I cant remember a word of what is being said. She is being pushy and forward and I'm being sluggish… Drunk, I guess." He shuddered and just like that the shaking was back.

"You know how all my nightmares are essentially variations on the same theme? I'm trapped and someone is watching me, manipulating me…. Sometimes I can't see, can't move. Sometimes I'm tied up, restricted….sometimes there's a camera… Sometimes I'm on a mattress on the floor."

"Edward…"

"This one was so detailed, it must have been drawn from something real, an actual event in my past, a repressed memory or something."

"Like an encounter with a woman that you could have sworn you never even met?"

"It sounds crazy, doesn't it?" he muttered, mostly to himself. "Alice, what are you doing?

"I'm pulling over."

"Please don't! I just want to go home…"

"I'm calling Bella. She needs to hear this."

"No. She'll have questions, and I really don't want to answer a bunch of questions right now," "he protested, searching for an argument that would satisfy his sister. "I need to think, I need to sleep. Besides, I still got her phone, remember?"

"Fine then I'll call her colleague. He's probably still at the hospital, visiting with her."

"Alice… I don't even know which parts are actual memories and which parts are just part of the nightmare."

"They need to know, so they can help you. This could be important." she said it slowly as if explaining to a child.

This was what he wanted, wasn't it? To be taken seriously. To force his mind to unlock every single one of those suppressed memories that gnawed at the back of his consciousness. To finally summon the courage to confront this aspect of his past.

"Look, I'll text them. You can look at what I write before I send it. I'll tell them 'no questions', alright."

Edward swallowed hard and nodded, unable to say anything.

.

…..

.

"Did you see that? She snapped her fingers at me. I am not a dog," Seth whined like he'd just had the biggest injustice done to him.

"Get over it," Bella rolled her eyes. "She was only doing her job. Besides, don't think I didn't see you checking her out."

"Well, that was before she snapped her fingers at me, obviously."

"Right, obviously," Bella shook her head. "Enough chit chat, it's time you tell me why you're here."

"Why I'm here?"

"You heard me. I want to know why you're here, when you could be home stuffing your face with your mother's fabulous steamed Christmas pudding."

"We'll the pudding lost it's appeal after my sister's kids came down with a nasty stomach bug. Also can't a friend be concerned about another friend? Or is that against the law or something?"

"Nu-uh, not buying that. You were here just the other week, and now you're back? Come on, spill! What's this about? You wouldn't waste your hard-earned time off, flying back here if it wasn't important."

"You're right, I wouldn't. You should know though, that I've been threatened with bodily harm if I say or do anything that gets you aggravated. "

"Who? Edward?"

"Well, Cullen, but also his slighly short but very scary sister and don't forget that nurse, just a few minutes ago. Did you see the way she handled those scissors?"

"Come on," Bella groaned. "Just tell me already. Have you finished decrypting the files? From the clinic? Is this about Anthony?"

"No. I've decrypted everything that can be decrypted, but I'm not getting anywhere with it. I've brought the database with me, though. I figured you'd want to take a look at it yourself."

Bella furrowed her brow, "So if that's not it, then what? Is it the DNA test I requested? It cant be done already, can it? I just texted you about it the other day. Don't tell me Alice was wrong about the hairbrush?!"

"No, Alice was right. There was a whole bunch of girly stuff left behind by Ms. Weber at the gym. I collected the hairbrush myself and delivered it to your friend at the crime lab. You'll have to be patient, though. Even lab techs are entitled to take time off to enjoy their Christmas pudding."

"Ah, yeah, of course. The hair sample Dr. Cullen posted won't be there until the Wednesday the soonest anyway. I swear I have too many things on my mind to think straight right now. "

"Tsk, Swan," he said, shaking his head at her. "I've heard it's very common to become forgetful, but this soon?!

"What?! Are you calling me old?!"

"Ever heard of the pregnancy brain syndrome?" he laughed.

"That's just a myth," she groaned with a grinding of her teeth. "I think… I hope…"

"Relax, I'm just yanking your chain."

"Make fun of the pregnant woman, why don't you. Do I have to remind you that you're not supposed to say or do anything that could potentially aggravate me."

"You do look a little flustered, maybe I should leave?"

"Maybe you should."

"Or I could stay and tell you what I've found out about Whitlock…."

"Peter?"

"Yes. Did you know he used to be an avid blogger? Before he hit it big in Europe."

"I know, but I haven't been able to find anything in his blogs about Edward. "

"Me neither, but if you take the time to read through all his blog entries, you'll know that he's only been back in Seattle twice since he dropped out of high school and upped and left Forks all those years ago."

"Yeah, that's what the Cullens have told me."

"Right, but did you know that the last time he was back, he did this one particular gig here in Seattle that was advertised as a birthday party?

"I've heard something about a rave and I also know he did something for a radio station."

"The radio station was celebrating five years of broadcasting and the PR firm hired to promote the event turned it into a swanky, open bar, birthday party. I'm thinking this could be the birthday bash mentioned in the letter that was found with your little stepson."

"He's not my stepson, and are you serious with this? What about the timeframe? Does it fit?"

"It fits. I've spoken to someone from the PR firm. Turns out the whole evening was a bit of a nightmare, turns out quite a few of the guests had bad reactions to the mixed array of seafood that was served. It was messy. How they managed to keep it out of the local new outlets, I do not know."

"Okay, well that works really well with what Edward told me about the allergic episode he had after a run in with some bad shrimps."

"From what I understand it wasn't the seafood itself that caused the outbreak. There was something iffy about the food dyes or preservatives used when preparing the shrimps and the scallops. Apparently they are often soaked in a chemical preservative prior to freezing in order to keep them 'fresher' longer. "

"That sounds plausible. Frankly, I really don't trust most restaurants to be honest when asked whether the seafood is fresh or has been chilling out in a freezer for a while...since very few people can tell the difference. I'll run this by Edward and see if it jogs his memory. Also if you give me the exact date of the event, I'll check with Dr. Cullen if he can confirm that were talking about the same night."

"You do that. I'd like to have a word with the caterer about this… and the club owner… and maybe someone from the radio station. I think we have the 'when' ironed out. Now we just have to figure out the 'who' and the 'why'."

"There is not much I can do from this hospital bed," Bella sighed. "Hopefully I'll get a chance to speak with Peter when he calls to check in with Jasper. He should be able to fill in some of the blanks."

"That's great, Swan. I…. " Seth started, but was distracted momentarily by an incoming text message. Reaching into his pocket for his phone, he frowned upon seeing who it was from.

"What is it?"

"Aww, sounds like lover boy have been having nightmares. His evil, midget sister just sent me this," he said, handing over his phone.

.

_/Sometimes nightmares are dormant memories and sometimes they are just bizarre brain farts. This may or may not be useful to you, but you have to promise to save the questions for later. My brother is at the end of his rope, don't push him._

_Edwards says: a turquoise, Ford Mustang, of an older model. Horse logo, Chrome details, Bakelite, the works… Girl with long, possibly dark, hair. Hairpins, earrings and a nametag. Black and white clothes. Shirt with missing buttons, wet and torn fabric. Dress or skirt._

_I say: think horse, think ancient, think Latin…_

_It isn't much, bit it's something./_

_._

"Gee, thanks Alice. That wasn't cryptic at all…." Bella mumbled, returning the phone to Seth.

"I'm sorry, but she's a bit of a nut job. And to think you're marrying into that family."

"Who said anything about getting married?" Bella tensed up and turned her head to glare at him. "Shi-.. I mean crap! Seth, I just thought of something!"

"What?"

"The car…. You know how the letter is signed with 'Kebi', right? I think Kebi could mean something that is somehow related to that car!"

"What? Why? Explain how you're thinking."

"Well, I'm thinking Volvo means 'I roll' in Latin."

"Right… and?"

"We know Kebi is not this woman's real name. It could still be a nickname of some sort, but it could also mean something else entirely. I_'_ve Googled the hell out of it, trying to find some other meaning in some other language."

"So have I. It's an Egyptian name, meaning 'honey'."

"True, it's also an endearment, like honey, or darling."

"Then there is Kébi, the town and commune in Ivory Coast."

"Yes, and Kebi, the bar in Bellingham."

"And now you're telling me it's a Volvo?"

"Nope, not a Volvo, but hear me out. Like I said Volvo is Latin for 'I roll'. In Latin, Kebi, originally spelt Kerbi, refers to a steel horse, guarding entrance to amythical underground world."

"Steel horse? That would make most people think of motorcycles."

"I'm not most people. Think Ford Mustang instead. Admittedly I know very little about cars, but I'm guessing each specific Ford Mustang model must have a specific name. Maybe one of them is named after a mythical horse? Or perhaps there is an old Ford out there with a personalized license plate that reads 'Kebi'… I know its farfetched, but when Alice gets a hunch she's rarely wrong. "

"Okay, I'll look in to it. Let's assume you're right, why would she sign the letter with something that is a reference to a car_?"_

"I haven't got the slightest idea. Something tells me this is important, though. Something tells me we've just made some real progress here today."

"You know what Swan? I think so too, but for entirely different reasons. If this woman wore a nametag, it's very likely that she was working that night, either at the club or for the caterer or the radio station."

"Progress in dead. Now, get the hell out of here so I can get some sleep!" Bella joked, only now that she'd said it, she realized how tired she really was.

"Is Cullen coming back tonight?"

"No, I told him to go home, I told them all to go, have a family dinner, get some rest."

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay?"

"I'm sure. You DO have somewhere to go, right? You're not planning on sleeping in a car or something?"

"Relax, Swan. I've got it covered. You see, I know this girl…."

"There is always a girl with you", the Bella laughed, "A different one every week or so. At least now I know the realr eason whhy you came back..:"

"Heh, what can I say? I'm a handsome fellow."

.

…...

**AN:** I took some liberties with the Latin translation.

The inspiration came from Kerberos or 'Kirby', which is the Greek name for the three-headed hellhound that guarded the gates of the underworld.

I originally planned to have the word Kebi be part of the butterfly tattoo that has been mentioned a few times in previous chapters, but this will work better with what I have planned next. We're getting closer to the end. I know I've said that before, but really, there is not much left of the story now…


	49. Chapter 48 - Arrangements

**Chapter 47 - Arrangements**

.

"I thought you'd be elated," Dr. Barnett smiled.

"You... want to discharge me?" Bella said uncertainly, not sure she'd heard him right or properly understood what he was saying.

The man nodded.

"I can leave? Today?"

Another nod. "Yes, I've agreed to release you on two conditions," he said, raising two of his fingers for emphasis. "Someone has to stay with you. That's the first thing. Preferably someone with medical training so that we can keep an eye on your blood pressure. Dr Cullen and his wife have offered to take you in and I feel confident in releasing you into their care. The other thing is that you need lots of rest and fluids. Bed rest is still mandatory. I'd say two weeks minimum."

"Two whole weeks?" Bella gaped. It wasn't the first time she'd heard of it, but the reality of it had not really sunk in, until then.

"Yes, during which time, I expect you back here for several checkups. The fetus growth and the fetal heart rate needs to be monitored closely. Don't worry, the Cullens will make all the arrangements. They'll take good care of you."

"I'm sure they will," Bella agreed, cringing inwardly at this. She just hated feeling dependant on or indebted to other people. "It's just that two weeks is a long time and I've already imposed on their hospitality longer than I should have. I just wish I could go home and sleep in my own bed."

"As your doctor, I very much advise you against flying right now. I thought this was an ideal solution when Dr. Cullen suggested it, but if you rather stay here at the hospital for a few more days…"

She weighed her options, unsurprisingly coming the conclusion that the prospect of spending another two weeks in hospital, or even just another day for that matter, sucked big time…

"No, it's okay. I don't want to hold up a bed that could be used for someone else," she told the doctor, resigning herself to the fact she wasn't going to back to her own place anytime soon.

.

…

.

Being stuck in a hospital bed sucked anyway you looked at it.

Not even a whole week had passed since she had arrived in that ambulance, but Bella was already sick of it. She hated the feeling of not being able to do anything but literally lie in bed and stare at the ceiling. She hated the sterile, white environment and overall gloominess. She hated the smell. And the food.

She couldn't wait to get back to some sort of normality. Only she never imagined normality would entail moving into Mrs. Cullen's downstairs study.

Apparently Esme had spent the whole morning rearranging furniture, or rather she had spent the whole morning giving orders to her sons, who then did all the heavy lifting for her. According to Edward this involved dragging a hugely heavy and ungainly monster of a bed down two flights of stairs and shuffling an equally heavy book case all the way up to the attic.

"It's a really comfortable bed and this way you don't have to be bothered with the stairs," Edward explained, as he wheeled Bella through the maze of corridors that had been her home for the last few days. "The kitchen is close by, you'll have the downstairs bathroom all for yourself and whenever you feel up for some company I can carry you into the living room."

"Carry me? Shouldn't you be giving your poor back some rest?"

"Fine, then Emmett can be the one carrying you around, for all I care," Edward, snapped, his mood was about as bright as the weather was gloomy. Bella got the feeling he hadn't slept well, if at all.

"I can walk on my own, thank you very much. This wheelchair is just hospital policy," she pointed out.

"You're on bed rest, remember?!"

"I'm allowed to go to the bathroom and I'm allowed to take showers, so a little easy walking around the house is obviously fine. It's good for the blood circulation, if nothing else."

"We'll see about that," Edward grunted as pushed the wheelchair out through the automatic doors and out into the car park.

They barely made it outside before a car that came rolling up beside them. "Here comes the cavalry," Edward alerted her. "I should warn you, they thought it would be a great idea to stop for lunch on the way home."

By 'them' he meant, Rosalie, who was behind the wheel and Emmett, who was bouncing up and down in the passenger seat like a yo-yo.

"I think this is Rose's roundabout way of apologizing and Emmett… well, you know Emmett, he just always think with his stomach. He claims you need to celebrate the fact that you're no longer being fed through a tube."

"Right, but getting fluids through an IV is hardly the same thing as being fed through a tube."

"I know, I've tried to explain it to him, but… Anyway, I've agreed that we can pick up some food as long as it's drive-through."

"Great, so Mickey D's then?"

"You'll have to settle for KFC. If you're not up for it, just say the words."

"No, that sounds delicious actually. I could kill for something greasy and heavily processed, right about now."

"Hey Swan, looking good!" Emmett flung the door open and jumped out of the car, slamming it shut behind him. "You realize the last time I saw you, you were jumping into my arms buck naked, clinging to my shirt like your life depended on it?"

"Oh, gee, thanks for the reminder, I'd almost forgotten," Bella huffed, trying to sound annoyed, but I knew she was most likely smiling. "And jumping into your arms? Really? With a dislocated shoulder, I don't think so!"

"I see how it is. You're worried about Eddie, here," Emmett teased, and threw his arm around his brother's shoulder. "You shouldn't be. He's a big boy. Besides a little jealousy is only good for the relationship."

"Move your ass out of my way," Edward said, shoving his brother so he could get past. "Bella, let us get you inside the car. It's freezing cold out here."

"Wait, don't rush me, " she protested. "This is the first breath of fresh air I've had in days." She stood up, swaying a bit on her feet, which had them both ready to jump to her rescue. "Now, before we go anywhere, can we be serious for a minute. I just realized I haven't thanked either of you for helping me. I would have been buried under a pile of collapsed building debris, if it weren't for you."

Emmett only shrugged. "Don't mention it Swan."

Edward didn't say anything, he just nodded avoiding her eyes.

"I just wanted to say sorry for being difficult, and stubborn and just, well, thank you for saving my life… our lives." she added lightly touching the swell of her belly through the fabric of her clothes. As if on cue, her stomach growled, and she pressed her hand to it more firmly.

"Now don't just stand there, bust a move. I'm pregnant and I'm hungry. The least you can do is open the car door for me," she joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Look who's rushing now," Emmett teased with a smirk on his face.

Bella stuck my tongue out at him. "Mood swings, what can I say?"

.

…

.

A few hours later Bella found herself in bed with Esme fluttering around the room, fluffing pillows and fetching snacks and bringing water and making sure she had everything she could possibly need.

Her attentiveness was a bit over the top, even for Esme. Thankfully Alice had been otherwise engaged for the afternoon. Breathing space was highly underrated.

"I'm going to get fat if you keep waiting on me like this!" Bella groaned stuffing herself with another chocolate chip cookie, her third one in an embarrassingly short period of time.

"That's the point dear," Esme smiled, setting down a glass of milk on the bedside table. "We want this baby to grow big and healthy."

"I know, but don't you think that the-daddy-to-be is the one that should be putting forth an effort? I mean, I know he has Anthony chase after, but he should be capable of doing a little pillow fluffing too."

"Oh, I didn't think of it that way, but you're right. I think I'm gonna make myself disappear for a while."

"I don't want to sound ungrateful. I hope you don't feel like I'm pushing you away. It's just that…"

"Don't be silly," Esme said with a wave of her hand. "You should be spending time together, bonding over the baby."

"Precisely. I don't want to guilt him into caring, or force him to do anything he doesn't want to do. I just want him involved. I wasn't sure before, but I am now. Maybe it's too late, but at least late is better than never."

"Don't worry. I'm with you on this one," Esme reassured her. "I'll speak with Alice… and Rose too. We'll work something out."

"Eh thanks, but I'm not sure I like the sound of that," Bella said, eyeing her sidelong. "No scheming! We have enough trust issues to deal with as it is."

"No, I just meant we'll try and coordinate our week to give the two of you some alone time."

"Oh, that sounds great actually. Thank you!" she hesitated a moment, "I already owe you so much. I've said it various times and I'll continue saying it. Thank you."

"Don't worry. You're family now. That's why we do this for you. For you and Edward and the little one."

"Thank you," Bella repeated a third time and then hurried to change the subject. It looked like Esme was going in for a hug and she didn't think she could handle that. "Speaking of family…" she started. "I have another favor to ask of you."

"Alright, let's hear it."

"I hate to ask this, but it's about Charlie," Bella admitted. "My father," she amended after a moment of thought. "I was suppose to go to Florida later this week. I always spend a few days around New Years with him every year. We celebrate Christmas and birthdays and all his favorite holidays, all in one weekend. I bring him his favorite food and we watch football. Last year we even went down to the fishing pier and watched the locals catch fish. Some years it's great fun, other years he doesn't even remember who I am."

"I'm sorry. It must be hard for you living so far away from him. I don't know if you're aware, but Carlisle always check up on him whenever he has a medical conference in the area."

"I know, I also know that you've been sending him Christmas cards every year since he moved to Florida." Bella felt herself choke up as he said it, but she pushed the feeling away. "I don't want him to be lonely on New Years Eve. It's the fireworks, they get him all worked up, and not in a good way. It doesn't matter if it's New Years or Fourth of July, or any other celebration, it's always the same." She closed her eyes for a minute and took a couple of deep breaths before she continued.

"The nursing home is great, but there is only so much they can do. If no one's there to keep him company, they'll medicate him heavily to get him through the fireworks. I hate it. I try to be there when I can and if I can't make it, I always ask around until I can find a nurse willing to pick up an extra shift and sit with him."

"You want me to make some calls?" Esme guessed.

"It's awfully short notice. Too short I'm afraid. I've already emailed the administrator of the nursing home. I had Seth help me with it yesterday, but so far no luck."

"We might need to look outside the nursing home this time," Esme suggested. "I'm sure Carlisle has some contacts. I'll look into it for you."

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea. Charlie seems to have given himself a bit of a reputation lately. He sort of, kind of, decked an orderly. "

"Oh my… What happened?"

"He's not violent or anything. He just… he responds better to reasoning than force. You need to know his history when dealing with him. It's not a good idea to talk back to him when he's in his 'Chief Swan' mood and is reading you your Miranda rights. The orderly tried to force his way into the room and Charlie threw a punch at him, probably thinking he was intervening an ongoing burglary or something "

"Oh, honey," Esme grimaced, trying but failing to keep a straight face. "That's terrible. I realize I shouldn't laugh, but knowing Charlie I'm sure he gave plenty of warning before he did anything else."

"I don't know, he's awfully short tempered these days. It gets worse. The orderly he took out was a young, fit, college kid. The poor guy required emergency hospital treatment for his broken nose. Thankfully he decided not to press charges once I agreed to pay for his hospital care."

"So we need to find someone with good sense of humor and a gentle, but firm approach?"

"A female. I can't see him hitting a woman… ever…"

"I'll do my best. In fact I'm quite confident I can find a solution to this, so don't you worry. I want you to relax. Eat the rest of your cookies and then... Take. A. Nap," Esme patted her shoulder.

"I will," Bella promised sincerely, touching the other woman's hand briefly in gratitude.

.

…

.

The sound of a creaking door had Bella's eyes fluttering open.

"Sorry. Did I wake you?" Edward asked, as he peeked inside the room.

"No, I wasn't asleep, I was just resting my eyes, that's all."

"Are you sure"

"Yes Edward, I'm sure"

"Then why didn't you answer me when I knocked."

"Just drop it," she said with an exasperated sigh. "Either come in or not, but close the door."

"I've got Tony with me." Edward pushed the door open wider, revealing the grumpy looking toddler perched on his hip. "I should warn you, he's not in a good mood."

"I can see that," she commented, taking in the red rimmed eyes and upturned mouth. "So let me guess, he's driving you crazy and now you're counting on me to take pity on you."

"Something like that," Edwards lips twitched in a faint grin, and she couldn't resist, she smiled back. Her heart skipped a bit. "I thought you could help me cheer him up, but if you are resting… We can always come back later."

"No, it's fine I've gotten plenty of rest this afternoon. What about you? Have you gotten any sleep at all lately?"

Edward looked up and smiled sheepishly, the dark circles under his eyes were almost as dark in color as the purple bruise on the left side of his head. "You know me. I sleep a few hours here and there."

"Am I allowed to ask about them? The nightmares, I mean."

"Not now," he shook his head and hoisted child more firmly against his hip. "He's kind of heavy, do you mind if I…." he trailed off with a sweeping gesture at the various books, magazines, and papers littering her bed.

"No, go ahead, sit down. Just push those piles off to the side. I don't need any of that stuff right now."

"You are working on something?" Edward frowned disapprovingly, as she moved her laptop to the bedside table. "You're suppose to rest."

She shook her head. "I was just catching up on some things. I'm actually waiting for Seth to get in touch with me about something and seeing as you still have my phone I had no other option than emailing him…. Here, let me take him," she said reaching for the boy.

"Wait don't… " Edward started only to be interrupted by a whiny high, pitched noise, when Anthony threw his arms around fathers neck. "…stress him."

"Did I scare him?" Bella pulled her arm back like she had been stung.

"No, he's fine… Clingy, but fine," Edward replied, sitting down on the edge of the bed, pulling the child into his lap. "He's just confused with all these new faces around. He's probably a bit wary of you, seeing as he hasn't seen much of you over the last few days so."

"Oh, no… He seemed fine yesterday at the hospital, though."

"Yeah, and he talks about you all the time, so I don't think it's anything personal."

"Aw, he talks about me. What does he say?" she asked, then she remembered she had a half eaten cookie on the nightstand, which she wasted no time in retrieving and quickly offering to the boy.

"Well, he's told everyone at breakfast this morning that you have a shark in your belly."

"A shark, really?"

Tony inched closer and snatched the cookie from her hand. He backed away again, but before he could devour the delicious treat, Edward intervened, taking it from him. "What do you say, Anthony? I know your Nana has though you what to say when someone gives you cookies."

"I have? Is mine," the boy pushed his lip out in a full pout.

"It's yours, if you say 'thank you' and 'please'."

"Fanks pees."

"Close enough, give the boy his cookie," Bella smiled. "Or better yet, let me give him the cookie. I'm the one working on getting on his good side again."

"Make me out to be bad cop why don't you," Edward joked. "Look Tony, Bella is being awfully nice, sharing her cookie with you, maybe you should give her a hug," he suggested, breaking the reminder of the cookie in two pieces, so that they each could give the boy a piece. Needless to say, Anthony was eager to get his hands on the inviting, perfectly golden brown baked goods, but not too keen on letting himself be hugged. Oh well, there is no competing with chocolate when it comes to a two year old.

Bella waited until he had licked the last traces of chocolate off his fingers, before she tried to engage the boy in conversation. "You have a shark in your belly, what's up with that?" she asked tickling his belly.

"Dunno, is full," he shrugged, looking at his father for a reaction.

"Mom asked him if he wanted another sandwich and he said he was full because he had a shark in his belly like his Bella."

"He said that? That's cute."

"He did, he called you 'my Bewa'. It was cute for about ten seconds then he threw his spoon across the table and laughed like a lunatic for about ten minutes. Not so cute…"

"Kids say and do the strangest things. They should come with a translator…. and a manual," Bella frowned, her train of thoughts interrupted by a low, vibrating sound. "Hey, is that you or Tony buzzing? "

"What?"

"Don't you hear it? It sounds like a phone, or is it one of Tony's new toys?"

"No, that's a phone, alright," Edward sighed and disentangled the child from his lap. Digging around in the depths of his jeans pockets, he pulled out, not one but two, phones.

"Your phone, actually. I keep forgetting I have this," he said, just as it buzzed again and the screen lit up with the little envelope symbol.

"Finally," Bella made a palm-up 'give it to me' gesture. "That's Seth right?"

Edward ignored her outstretched hand. "If he goes by 'Wolfman' then yes, it's Clearwater." He tapped theicon, bringing up the message. "You were right."

"About what?"

"No, that's what it says. 'You were right'. He wants you to call him when you have a moment."

"When I have a moment? He wants me to call when I have a moment," she shook her head, snatching the phone out of his hands. "I hate being laid up in bed with nothing to do. I've only been waiting for him to contact me since I woke up this morning."

"Right, I'll just leave you to it, then." Edward frowned and rubbed his neck awkwardly. "Tony, come here!" he ordered, reaching for the child, but of course the boy had other ideas. He was far more interested in hiding inside the tunnel that had formed under the blanket that was resting over Bella's knees, than listening to his father.

Edward grabbed him by his feet and tugged. Tony answered by wailing loudly.

"Stop that! If the boy wants to stay he can stay," Bella declared while she pulled up her contact list, searching for the right number. "You can both stay, I am certain you will want to hear this, "she added, and looked Edward in the eye while she hit dial and waited for the call to go through.

Tony was still voicing his displeasure with inarticulate growls and Edward didn't look entirely happy either, "Do you really think tha-…"

"Hush, you two" Bella interrupted, pressing the phone closer to her ear.

"Hi, Seth! Sorry about the noise. So, I was right, eh?! It is a license plate, isn't it?"

"I knew it! Look, I'm going to put you on speaker phone. Is that's okay? Edward is here with me."

"Don't call him that. His little clone is here too, so watch your language."

"Hold on, let me find the right button. I'm one- handed for the moment, remember. "

She did some fumbling around and then they heard shuffling on the other end of the phone, before finally Seth's distinctive voice came through for them all to hear. "I'm surprised they let you out, you being crippled and all."

"Who, the hospital?" Bella asked, unamused by his silliness. "It could have something to do with the fact that Dr. C is the Chief of Surgery."

"Didn't think of that. So Cullen, I guess this means you'll be playing nurse for the next couple of days."

"Yeah well, she's supposed to rest and recover, not work and recover, so cut to the chase, Clearwater," Edward gruffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "What's this talk about a license plate? You've got two minutes to say what you need to say."

"My, my. It sounds like someone's grumpy today. Do you have a pen ready, Swan?"

"Erm …Yep." She said grabbing a pen from her nightstand, shoving it at Edward.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Anthony unashamedly discarding his tiny sweatpants, throwing them on the floor along with his socks. That boy sure loved running around naked. "Hold on one second, Seth," she frowned and grabbed a handful of the boys shirt pulling him into a one-armed hug. He shrieked and squirmed, of course, but finally settled down once she gave him Alice's old IPod a to play with.

"Break that kiddo and there are some rather nasty consequences, ones no sane person will risk," Edward told the child in a way too serious voice. "Your Auntie Alice is a scary chick."

"I'll second that!" came Seth's voice from the phone.

"Al?" Anthony questioned, looking very confused. "I no see."

"That's right, Alice isn't here right now. I'm sure you'll see her again later tonight. Now simmer down and come cuddle with me, while I talk to your daddy and our friend."

"Yes, mommy," Seth cackled with undisguised glee. "So, are we good to go. Got those Cullen boys under control?"

She looked over at Edward, who looked visibly annoyed, which didn't surprise her. "Yeah, go ahead, tell us what you've got."

"Right, here goes… The car, a 1967 Ford Mustang, with an aqua metallic exterior, has only had two owners and was originally registered to a Geosappe Nahuel."

"Wait, can you spell the name for us."

"Sure it's G-E-O-S-A-P-P-E N-A-H-U-E-L."

"Did you get that Edward."

"Where do you expect me to write this? On my hand? This would be so much easier if you gave me a paper or something to write on. Not to mention a pen that actually works."

"Wow, you really are grumpy today," Bella responded, with a shake of her head. "There should be both a pen and a notebook in that stack of stuff you helped me clear from the bed just five minutes ago. Look on the table on your left."

Edward grumbled something unintelligible under his breath, but did as he was told. After rummaging around for a for a bit, he found what he needed and sat back down again.

"Alright, go on Seth," Bella urged, once he was satisfied that the name had been properly penned down.

"The original owner had the car in his possession for 35 years, but in 2002 the ownership was transferred to a to a sixteen year old Maria Giovanna, G-I-O-V-A-N-N-A, Nahuel. A granddaughter, I'd imagine. Does the name sound familiar?"

Bella looked at Edward, who was shaking his head.

"Edward says, no… I need to look in my notes before I say anything. I could be wrong, but I think I might have seen it somewhere. It's not the most common of names."

"The granddaughter had a personalized license plate made in 2006. The car is still in her possession to this date."

"I don't recall a license plate. Why is the plate important?" Edward asked. "Also, I don't get what makes you so sure this is 'the' car. There must be zillions of them, still rolling the streets today. Ford Mustang is only one of the most popular cars in automotive history."

"Oh, Swan didn't tell you?" Seth mused. "You're right, there are zillions of them, but there is only one aqua green Ford Mustang with the license plate 'KEBI' that was rolling around the streets of Seattle three years ago. Coincidence? I don't think so."

"Is it still here in the area?" Bella asked while Edward looked a little bit nauseated.

"Don't know yet. This Maria woman is Seattle based… or she was three years ago anyway. The last known address looks like an on-campus housing at UW, she might have moved on since then. I'm on my way to check it out right now, unless you have a better idea, Swan?!"

"No, that sounds like a good plan. Anything else?"

"No, that's it."

"Okay. I'll run a search on the name and see what else I can dig up from the details you've given me."

"You work on that… I mean, you REST on that," he laughed at his own word-play. "Sorry, Cullen. You got her up the duff, you keep her zen and bed-bound."

"Trust me, I'm planning on doing just that… Starting now." Snatching the phone out of Bella's hand, Edward quickly disconnected the call before Seth could say another word.

"Mature, Edward. Real mature."

"What? He was talking a lot of smack. I did you a favor."

"If you really want to do me a favor, you can go make sure nothing happens to Tony."

"What?!"

"Your son is no longer in the room and the door is open. I'd risk a guess he is heading for the kitchen."

"That sneaky little bugger!"

.


	50. Chapter 49 - Food coma

.

"Where did everyone go?" Edward asked, entering the room where Bella was lying passed out on the couch, suffering from an acute case of food coma and bloating.

"Huh?" she responded, stifling a very unladylike burp.

"Emmett and Jasper? Where did they go?"

"Oh," she propped herself up on her elbows and looked around. "Emmett took a phone call. Jasper, I don't know. He was here just a second ago."

Edward's eyes narrowed as he considered her response, "I bet he's hiding from Alice. You heard her at dinner, right? All she could talk about was babies, child-bearing and child-rearing. I'm not sure they are on the same page with that one. Run Jasper, run, while there is still time," cupping his hands around his mouth he pretended to shout the last words.

"You don't mean that," Bella told him, easing herself back to previous reclined position on the couch again. "Come to think of it, I haven't seen Alice in a while either. They could be off somewhere together having naked 'bonding time' as we speak. I know Alice is dying to try out the cowgirl outfit Jasper got her for Christmas."

"Gross, Swan! Thanks for adding to the list of mental images that can't be erased."

"You're welcome," she told him flatly. While she appreciated his attempt to strike up a light-hearted and casual conversation, she couldn't quite work up the energy to keep the small talk going for more than a couple back-and-forth rounds. Her digestive system seemed to be struggling with what to do with the obscenely lavish dinner she'd just eaten. Too much food in a too small space. Esme was an evil, evil woman for tempting her with turkey meatloaf with mushrooms and white beans and cauliflower mashed potatoes and a few other Christmas leftover delights.

Edward didn't seem discouraged by her short tone, or perhaps he too was feeling some food induced sluggishness, because he sank down in one of the armchairs and unceremoniously put his feet up on the coffee table.

And then there was silence.

The only sound that was heard was the voices of the characters on the TV and the ticking of a nearby clock. The silence stretched until Bella couldn't stand it anymore.

"So… my blood pressure was pretty good, lower than it has been in days, " she blurted, pressing the heel of her palm to her overfull belly, trying to soothe the uneasy feeling, "but I'm sure your father already told you that, right?"

"That's great and yes, I had heard about it already, from multiple sources actually."

His lips twitched, like he was fighting off a smile, and Bella narrowed her eyes at him. "I told you working on my laptop for a few hours wouldn't be a problem."

"You won that argument!" he held his hands up in surrender. "I left you alone, didn't I?!"

"You did, but then my battery died after the power cord went mysteriously missing. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

"Nope," he shrugged, acting all innocent and saint-like. "Maybe one of the kids ran off with it?" he suggested, grabbing the TV remote from the coffee table. "Mind if I change the channel?"

"Change of subject, you mean? Don't think I-…" Bella started replying, when her stomach gurgled loudly, prompting Edward to quirk an eyebrow at her.

"Did you say something, Swan? he shifted his gaze from the TV to give her an amused smirk.

"Don't give me that look. Just, um, a case of a little gas," she laughed, but still couldn't stop her ears and face from heating up." It's the beans. It will pass… soon… I'm sure."

"That's usually how it works," Edward teased, pulling his shirt up over his nose, and waving a hand as if clearing the air of a foul odor.

"Laugh now, but you're sharing room with Anthony tonight and I happen to know that the little stinker ate an impressive amount of the very same beans that have me all gassy."

"Great, that settles it. I give up! I'm not going to try and force the kid to eat anything remotely green until he's old enough to live on his own. Did you know red grapes make his poop go all purple?"

"Eww, is that normal?"

"What, smelly, runny, messy crap? Afraid so… You do not want me to repeat what Rose told me about teething babies and their stool."

"No, probably not," Bella blanched at the image that provoked. "I know I should read up on this stuff, but spare me the graphics, please!"

"You're the one that started it with all your talk about gas, beans and smelly kids."

"Speaking of kids, where is Tony? Is he down for the night already, or did you dump him on your dear, sweet mother?"

"She volunteered. If she wants to do bedtime stories and snuggles and lullabies for the remaining of our stay, who am I to stand in her way?"

"Edward…"

"What?! She's good at it. You know it usually takes me hours to get him to settle down. Besides, it's not like I left him high and dry. I tucked him in, kissed him goodnight and stayed until he was so absorbed in the story he wouldn't even have noticed if the roof fell down around him." This time Edward was the one blanching.

"Eh, bad choice of words," he winced. " Still too soon to joke about it."

"It will always be too soon to joke about that," Bella shuddered. "Let's talk about something else," she suggested.

"Like what? The weather? Because I don't think I want to hear more about your digestive problems."

"No, I had something else entirely in mind," she turned her head to face him with what she hoped was a serious, but encouraging look on her face. "You still haven't told me about your dreams, Edward."

"The ones where I hope to become an astronaut and follow in Neil Armstrong's footsteps? What about them?" he deadpanned, though the sarcasm somehow lacked its usual bite.

"I'm serious. You know I'm talking about your nightmares. Explain to me, how do they work? Are they like genuine flashbacks? Or more like random images that your brain attempts to make sense of while you are asleep?"

"You think I'm making them up? That I'm subconsciously making up false memories."

"No, it's just that nightmares are rarely exact playbacks of real life events. Most dreams tend to be just a mix of memories and your subconscious throwing people and places and events together in a big jumbled mish-mash."

"That might be true for your nightmares maybe, if you even have any, but mine have always been extremely accurate in detail, even the ones that are more symbolic than literal. That's what makes them nightmares," his voice sounded strained, like he didn't want to be having this conversation, but there was no getting around it. "Nightmares to me means having to relive every single bad memory, every single wrongdoing, every single mistake I've ever made, knowing there is nothing I can do to change the outcome."

"I'm sorry. I know this is something that plagued you for a long time. Maybe you should talk to someone, there are specialists….maybe you could try hypnosis…"

He shook his head like he didn't want to hear it. "Every single memory that I've kept locked up tight, all of them are fucking haunting me every time I fall asleep, and you're asking me to explain it all to you? I can't do that, Bella. I just can't do it!"

"Fair enough. I won't ask again," she conceded, fully recognizing the pained and inward-turned expression on his face. "Just tell me about the car, Edward. It would help enormously if you could tell me more about the car."

He relaxed visibly. The car he could talk about, it was a safe topic… No, not safe, safer. It was safer. "It's a mustang, bluish green in color. The interior smells and looks like an old car. There is not much to tell, really. It's always too dark, too much rain and mist on the windows to make out much of anything..."

"Always? So this is something that has been recurring, then? You've dreamt about it before," she prompted. "Or is this an entirely new development?"

"A few times over the last two, three weeks," Edward sighed. His tone was clipped, but at least he was answering her. "I didn't realize the significance right away. The change was gradual. I guess the easiest way to describe it would be to say that the setting started morphing, from…. eh, from where my nightmares usually take me… Don't ask me to divulge on that," he warned, before he continued. "…into the interior of a car, a passenger seat, where I find myself stuck with some nameless, faceless, female figure is crawling all over me."

"Anthony's mother?"

"Yeah, I can't explain how or why I know that. It's not like I have a clear recollection of the actual… well you know." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he rubbed his eyes. "Maybe you're right, maybe my mind is stirring up all sorts of crazy shit, but there is real stuff in there too. I can tell from the details, the feel of it, the way it involves all senses, not just visual images, but smells and textures too. "

"I'm no expert on memoryretrieval, but from what I understand context is important. You were in a car with Alice yesterday when you fell asleep and the nightmare occurred. It was dark and I'm guessing it was raining or snowing at the time. You were placed in a different yet similar context to 'that' night and it subconsciously opened a flood gate of memories."

"I guess," he shrugged. "But it's not always like that. Sometimes it just happens out of the blue, no warnings and sometimes I can go months without dreaming anything, god or bad."

"You shouldn't avoid sleeping though. That's unhealthy! I don't think you can really predict your dreams. They are not pleasant, I get that, but in the long run those nightmares will help you deal with stuff in a manner that isn't self destructive."

"I just wish I could remember more. I feel like I need to. What if I never remember what happened?"

He sounded weary and resigned, and that depressed the hell out of her.

"You're doing great," she said softly, and meant it. "Things may not be happening at the speed that I want them to, but it is happening. For what it's worth, I've actually been trained in memory-enhancing techniquesfor investigative Interviewing. I happen to know that there are tricks you can use to speed up the process."

"Not hypnoses, or therapy or anything like that. I don't want someone dissecting my every thought and action," he declared, folding his arms across his chest.

"And you wonder where your son getshis stubborn streak from," Bella remarked, earningherself an annoyed look in return.

"At least hear me out, alright!" shepersisted.

"Remember what I said about context being important? You brain subconsciously links memories to what was going on around you at the time the memory was formed. Encountering that same context again can trigger the memory, or at least make it more likely to be triggered. "

His eyebrows shot up. "You think I should try and reenact the event?"he snorted, like the ideawas ridiculous.

"I think you should try and put yourself in the same context – this includes not only the car and the physical environment you were surrounded by, but also your mood, your general psychological state and level of intoxication that night."

"So, let me get this straight," he scoffed, massaging his temples. "In the odd chance that you actually do manage to track down the right car, I should drink myself shit faced and then go ahead and have a make out session with some random girl in the passenger seat of an old beaten up Mustang? Is that what you're suggesting?"

"I don't think you have to take it to those extremes," Bella replied with a forced laugh. "A visit to the club would… oh…" she stopped mid sentence as she realized her mistake. He wouldn't know what club she was talking about, because she had accidently forgotten to tell him that little detail. Only she wasn't sure he would get the 'accident' part.

And sure enough,he immediately tensed and gave her a narrow-eyed look, "What club?" he demanded, "What are you talking about?"

"I'm sorry, I meant to tell you this morning, but it slipped my mind."

"Sure you did. "Edward snorted, clearly not believing a word of it. "These kinds of slips seem to happen a lot with you."

"No, I really did plan on telling you." She pleaded with her eyes for him to understand, to not make a big deal out of it.

"Fine, it doesn't matter," he relented. "Just another one of those things you didn't think it was necessary for me to know about. Whatever… Why don't you just tell me what it is already instead of being so pathetic about it?"

His words stung. "I'm just waiting for you to shut up and let me talk," she snapped at him before she caught herself. Taking a deep breath, she tried adopting a more professional mindset, shutting everything else away.

"So talk," he said. "Jeez Swan, you got a mouth all you have to do is open it...shouldn't be that hard. Most of the time you don't shut up."

She cleared her throat, ignoring the jab. It was justified, after all. "We know where the birthday party was held, the one that both you and Peter attended."

"Where?"

"Volterra,it's a night club down by the waterfront, close to the Arcade. Do you know the place?"

He shook his head. "Not really, no. How do you know this?" He continued to scowl with his brow furrowed.

"A few years back, Peter was part of the line-up for an event that went under the name T'he Live and Loud Birthday Bash'. It was the 5th Anniversary of the birth of MNC Radio Network. It was heavily promoted, so it is likely that you saw an ad or heard about it on the radio or something... or maybe you simply ran into him by chance… Anyway, we know for sure that he was there and everything else fits, the timeframe, the theme of the party, the whole set up. It was a fancy affair, big venue, non-stop live entertainment, gourmet sushi and seafood buffetand anopen bar for the guests in the VIP section."

"A PR event?" Edward interrupted,getting to his feet to pace. Back and forth he went, trying to make sense of what he was being told. "You're sure about this?"

"Yes, I'm sure. There is more… We've heard from an initiated source that the caterer received multiple complaints about the state of the seafood they served. You weren't the only one that was experiencing allergic reactions that night."

"Oh…" Edward allowed his fingers to rake his hair, another a sure sign that his frustrationwas becoming unbearable. "I knew it wasn't all in my head, or the alcohol wrecking havoc on my body. I didn't just swell up like a soccer ball, for no reason. I knew it had to have been something I ate! I just knew it!"

"It seems your instincts were right. The whole ordeal was later written off as a case of wrongfully used food preservatives, but what really happened was that the shrimps were soaked in some rather questionable chemicals to appear fresher longer. "

"Questionable chemicals?"

"There is so much crap in the food we eat these days, you wouldn't believe it. Although harmless in smaller doses, larger doses of many common food preservatives, sweeteners and artificial colorants, can be quite toxic, especially for individuals with a low tolerance threshold. If you combine that with a little bit of intoxication and a large portion of angst, it's no wonder it sent you into full panic mood."

He stopped pacing suddenly. "You think it was deliberate? That someone did something purposely…" His eyes widened and he looked ashen at the thought. "Wait, the nametag! It must have belonged to someone that was working there, in that nightclub, at that party, that night!"Three large strides and then he was at her side by the coach, looming over her, demanding answers.

She felt like shaking him and hugging him all at once.

"I see were you're going with this, but no, that's not what I think. You misunderstood me," she told him with as much conviction and authority as she could muster. "Listen to me Edward. The chemical were added by the supplier before the shrimps and scallops were frozen, which were weeks before they were actually served. All of which is standard procedure, but in this case they were careless and didn't follow proper protocol, hence the unfortunate outcome."

"Unfortunate?" he huffed, sounding upset by her choice of words. "I was forced to have my stomach pumped. It was horrible. Not unfortunate or merely unlucky, it was a truly and utterly horrid experience. How did I not know about this? Are they still in business? Please tell me someone sued them into none existence."

"One would hope so. Honestly, I don't know. You want me to find out for you? I didn't think this was something you'd… "

"How long have you known?" he interrupted.

"Known what? " It looked like he was about to start pacing again, so she grabbed a hold on his wrist.

"The location…Volterra…. Peter, the chemicals… everything…" He knelt until he was almost eye level with her.

"Only since last night," she told him, meeting his glaring gaze with a firm look of her own. "I was telling the truth before when I said I was going to tell you, but itslipped my mind."

"Damn it, Bella! I wish you would have told me straight away," he spat at her, turning his face away like he couldn't stand the sight of her.

She cringed, immediately recognizing where he was going with this. She'd held back information from him one too many times. It was not something he was going to get over easily.

"Hours, Edward, we're talking hours here. What difference does it make?"

"What difference does it make?" he repeated in a mocking manner. "Are you seriously telling me I should be glad it's only hours and not days or weeks or months this time? Seriously?!"

"I'm sorry, alright. It was an honest slip. I forgot, it happens when you have a lot on your mind." Not wanting to rehash everything again she tried to deflect the conversation away from herself. "Look, you were right about one thing. There is a strong possibility that the woman we're looking for was part of the external wait and bar staff hired for the night."

Of course, Edward wasn't interested in changing the subject just yet. "I can't trust you to tell me anything," hebarked, his voice dropping to arough growl.

She had no comeback, no answer, no sharp reply. She hunched her shoulders, all the fight in her suddenly slipping away. She felt a pang in her chest and squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the surge of emotional and physical distress to pass. Only it didn't, instead she felt another 'pang' and this time she realized straight away it wasn't in her chest, it was in her stomach and it wasn't a pang, it was more like a… it felt more like a… it was a kick!

"Edward," she reached out to touch him, but he shrugged her off almost violently. Her bad shoulder ached from the jolt, but she ignored the pain.

"I don't want to hear more excuses,"he warned, rising to his feet. "I'll leave if you -…

"No, you can't leave! Get back down here, I need you to do that again!"

"Do what?" he questioned, obviously not sure what exactly she was referring to.

"I know this sounds nuts, but lean down and keep talking!"

"Have you completely lost it?"

"No, I haven't lost it. Or maybe I have… Look, I felt the baby move. It just kicked!"

"It kicked? " he sounded dubious and she couldn't blame him. At least the anger gone, replaced with a mask of confusion. "It's moving?"

"Yes. Not this very moment, but before when you were kneeling down, speaking to me. I think the close proximity of your voice set it off."

"You think it reacted to my voice?"

"It was reacting to something, because those thumps were way more intense than any fluttering, bubbling or popping sensation I've felt up to this point. They were real, actual kicks!"

"Can I... touch it?"he asked, slowly sinking back down on his knees again, so that his facewas level with her belly.

"If you want to, sure."

"Where?"he asked, his hand slowly tracing the hem of her t-shirt.

"Try here," Bella instructed, guiding his hand higher. "Now, lean closer and talk to it."

He tucked his legs underneath him and leaned forward hesitantly, as if afraid to get too close. "Hi, baby," he said awkwardly, obviously feeling rather foolish about the whole thing. "Be a good sport and give me a kick."

Bella held her breath and waited. Edward waited, his palm resting unmoving on top of her stomach.

Nothing happened.

"I think you need to speak louder, in a deeper voice. You were practically screaming at me before."

"Forget it," he told her, though despite his protest, his voice dropped down into its lowest register as he continued speaking. "You don't scream or growl at a baby… or a belly. That's just not right."

Bella couldn't hold back the grin that spread across her face. The words had barely left his lips, when she felt the familiar bubbling sensation that she had come to recognize as somersaults. The little alien was indeed reacting to the sound of Edward's voice, shifting around inside her womb.

Edward's eyes locked with hers, but he didn't mirror her awed expression, instead he pressed his lips into a grim line.

"You didn't feel that, did you?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

"No," he grumbled.

"It's working though, you should keep talking," she suggested, giving him an encouraging smile.

"I don't know what to say." He took his hand away and she almost whimpered at the loss of contact. "It feels weird. Talking to something that won't talk back. The whole thing is weird."

She though he was about to get up and leave, but instead he did the complete and total opposite.

Without asking permission, he pushed her t-shirt up until it was bunched up just underneath her bra, covering her breasts, but exposing her entire midsection.

"There is a growing baby in there," it sounded like more like a question than a statement. "It's just hard to comprehend. If I hadn't seen it myself…."

His hand was back, palming the slight swell of her stomach again, both hands actually. It was such a normal gesture, so achingly real and honest, thatBella couldn't resist placing her own hands on top of his. She held her breath, but he didn't brush her off and the moment stretched into an eternity.

"I still don't feel anything…" he said, finally breaking the silence after what felt like an eternity of pure serenity. "Is it still moving?"

"No, it stopped." Bella admitted. "But keep talking. I swear for awhile there it felt like I had an entire popcorn factory in my uterus."

"Popcorn factory? Now you're just pulling my leg," Edward snorted, but kept his hands firmly in place.

Another few minutes of light bickering between them passed.

"Swan, I'm sorry for raising my voice at you before. That was unnecessary."

"It was, but I understand why you reacted the way you did."

His sincere apology made her compelled take the conversation into a new uncharted territory. They were alone, actually talking to each other without screaming and yelling and accusing… much… and there was no telling when another opportunity like might come around again.

"Edward, tell me honestly, are we going to be okay?"

"Honestly," he questioned, looking at her as she nodded. "I don't know."

"But you do wantus to be okay? Do you want us to do this…. " she gestured to her stomach, "… together?"

"I don't know," he answered again. "It's the truth, I don't know. Every time I think it's going well, every time I let you back into my heart, you turn around and stomp on it!"

He must have seen her face fall because he hurried to add, "Or I will go and do something equally hurtful to you. I know I'm not without fault."

"You think we're broken beyond repair?"

"I think I love you… No, I know I love you, I've never felt anything remotely this strong for anyone else, but I don't think I can survive another fallout. It just too painful and I have a kid now to take into consideration… soon there will be two kids. The way we fight, the way we argue, the way we communicate… I don't want the kids to end up in the middle of a messy break-up."

His words were harsh, but she knew they weren't meant to upset her, not meant to start another fight or argument; they were just the truth.

"I feel the same way, share the same fears," she admitted, not caring at that moment if it made her sound cliché andpitiful. "I really, reallywant us to be okay, but I'm scared of being dependant, of loving too much. The more you love, the more you stand to loose and with kids…" she paused to take few breaths to regain her cool. Her heart was racing. "I was shipped between two parents growing up. God knows, my parents had no business being together in the first place, but there is no such thing as a happy divorce. I was forced to grow up and mature quicker than I was ready to."

"You realize you never told me much about any of this before. Sometimes I feel like I don't know you at all. You're impossible to read."

"You have secrets too. We've been apart longer than we've been together. You've made a life for yourself without me. You've had other girlfriends..."

"Other girlfriends?! You were married!"

"I'm just saying that we both have things about our past that we haven't shared. Things that have shaped us and made us the persons we are now." She risked a touch to his shoulder. His muscles tensed beneath her fingertips.

"As for my marriage…. I can set you straight about one thing right away. I didn't marry for love," she whispered, "I was a kid. I didn't know what I was doing. Jake was safe, because I couldn't see myself ever truly falling for him. Everyone I had ever loved had let me down one way or another. Yes, you included," she added when his head shot up. "Though, I know now that it was just as much my own fault as it was yours."

"Biker boy treated you like crap for years, how was that in any way better than being heart-broken?"

"You forget his career had him travelling 250 days a year. I rarely ever saw him and that was fine by me. I cared for him a great deal, but I never loved him. For the longest of time I closed myself off to feeling anything even remotely close to real affection. I have scars too, most of which are from events that happened when I was too young to know how to deal with them."

"I warned you," Edward grumbled, hanging his head down low, as if purposely avoiding eye contact with her. "I told you to stay away from Jake. Hell, I told you to stay away from me too. I was a fuckup in high school, a monster. Your dad was right about me. You should have listened to him, it would have saved us all a lot of pain."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I hate it when you talk about yourself like that," her voice came out soft but steady. "We had so much common ground, back then. We were two moody teenagers with heaps of emotional baggage that we covered up with attitude, anger and anti-social acting out."

"You, acting out," he snorted. "Please, you were a saint compared to me. You had not as much as smoked a cigarette, let alone anything stronger, before we met."

"We were on the opposite side of that spectrum. You had so much aggressions and anger inside you, while I was busy living out everyone else's expectations, but my alone in a world where you don't quite fit in can be a daunting thing. You see it too, don't you, the parallels between our lives?"

He opened his mouth to object, but thought better of it and mumbled a half-hearted, "I guess I do."

Bella didn't like the grim expression on his handsome face. She didn't like the way his eyes searched hers, as if trying to determine the level of truth in the words she spoke.

In an attempt lighten the mood, she bumped his shoulder with her forehead and joked, "Look at us, talking about our past without resorting to name-calling and finger pointing."

"We've gotten more mature, I guess," he agreed.

"Seems like it," she all but beamed at him. "We were two kids way too immature to handle a serious relationship and now we're two adults trying to be responsible and realistic about our situation. All that other stuff, the teenage angst, I say it's time we leave it be. We have more pressing issues to deal with." She let her eyes fall to his hands, still resting on her stomach.

"For now," he agreed, spreading his fingers out to touch as much of her belly as he could reach. "But only because you're right. We really do have more pressing issues to worry about. You know anything about new-born babies, Swan? Because I'm clueless."

"Uh, they eat, sleep, poop and cry... a lot. There is still time to prepar-…" she started at the same time as another voice suddenly and very unexpectedly filled the room.

"Have you seen my char-…, " the voice trailed off. "Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt."

Bella and Edward both looked towards the door and saw… "Jasper?"

"Um yeah hi, I'll be quick," he promised, walking into the room. "I'm just looking for something." He rounded the coffee table and came to a sudden halt.

"Whoa! Are you guys getting it on? I spy naked bits. Now I feel even worse about interrupting," he exclaimed, covering his eyes dramatically with his hands, but obviously peeking.

"You should," Edward grumbled, as he quickly tugged at Bella's T-shirt and smoothed it out until the fabric was covering every inch of her previously exposed stomach. "And yes, that's exactly what we're doing… in my parent's house, on my mother's couch, with the rest of the family milling about,"he added, moving to sit on the edge of the coffee table.

"Ooh, sounds kinky," Jasper teased. "I'll leave you to it. I was just looking for my phone charger, but unless you're sitting on it…." he motioned vaguely towards Bella's form on the couch and Edward butt on the table.

Edward rolled his eyes. "Nope… Not here."

"Oh well…" Jasper shrugged turning to leave. He started to walk away, but snapped his fingers like he had just remembered something. "That AC adapter you wanted to borrow, I placed it on your bed, Swan."

"Thanks, Jasper! Hey, wait! I've finished the list now."

"What list?"

"The list of questions I told you I was working on, for when Peter calls. I'd prefer to be present for that conversation, but if not, I'd like you to ask him about the stuff on this list." Shepulled out a piece of paper from between the couch cushions and held it out for him to look at.

"Oh, that old list," Jasper laughed, as he took a few steps back into the room.

"Is this an 'a' or an 'u'," he asked as he scanned the questions.

"An 'u 'sorry, sloppy handwriting. It should be Maria Giovanna Nahuel".

"Who is…"Jasper started to ask, but had to clear his voice when only a squeak had escaped. "Who's Maria?"

"That's what I'm hoping Pete can tell us. As you can see, there are a few other names I'd like you to run by him."

"Huh?"

"Names," she repeated. "There are quite a few of them on the list that I hope you can run by Peter."

"Right…. "He nodded, but appeared tobe deep in thoughtashe began rattling off the names, "Angela Weber, Larissa Grey, James T Wilson and James Turner..."

"Are you alright, Jasper? You're looking kind of pale."

"I'm fine…" he muttered. "I'll try and get you some answers, but there are a lot of questions and I'm not sure…"

"How long you can keep him on the phone. I understand. Do your bestthough," Bellanodded in understanding. "Or better yet, come find me and let me speak with him when he calls. Hey, are you sure you're alright? You don't look too well."

"He really did look out of sorts, a fine layer of sweat glistened on his forehead.

"It's the food. I ate way too much. The beans…"

"Say no more," Edward interrupted him before he could finish the sentence, shoving his friend somewhat brusquely towards the door. "Bye-bye, Jasper!"

.

.…..

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	51. Chapter 50 - New name, old regrets

_AN: not my best work perhaps, but I did get it done pretty quickly this time… I'll be off on vacation to Croatia next week and a half._

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**Chapter 50 - New name, old regrets**

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Edward sat in the darkness of his bedroom contemplating the turn of events the day had brought.

The evening was still young and the rest of the adult members of his family were no doubt downstairs lounging in the living room, watching evening sitcoms or something, but not Edward… He couldn't stand having other people around at the moment.

What kind of man raises his voice and picks fights with woman just out of hospital? What Bella needed was rest and relaxation, someone to pamper and spoil her, not someone that yelled and raged at her.

Regret ate at him like acid. He loved her, and she loved him in return. Why did he have to let his ego and irritability get in the way? Why the hell did he have to be so short-tempered all the time? Impulse control had never been his strong suit.

Of course, being the stubborn, headstrong woman she was, Bella had stood her ground against him, even delivered a few punches of her own. She was having none of his attitude that's for sure. He expected nothing less, though, honestly, from her.

Somewhere in the midst of all his fuming, and ranting, and raving, they had actually managed to iron out a few issues, only to have a few new ones come up that need to be tackled. This was typical for them. Never getting to the bottom of things, because there was no bottom.

If he had any decency in him at all, he would set his own feelings aside and take responsibility for his childish behavior. If he couldn't even talk to her in a civil manner, he had no business talking to her at all.

He knew the blame was entirely his own, he had opened his mouth and said things he should not have, but this woman had a way of infuriating more than anyone else could. She never let up, never shied away poking around in open wounds. She'd effectively manoeuvred him into talking about things he had absolutely no intention of saying a damn word about… ever.

She brought out an anger in him that, although never violent, went far past anything rational. She knew him so well, knew how to push himto his limits, but more than anyone else, she knew how to distract him and disarm the explosive bouts of temper that sometimes went off, often with little or no warning. This time she had done it without even raising her voice.

Those baby kicks had been suspiciously well timed. He hadn't felt a thing, but just the idea of the baby moving around in there had mellowed his ass out and stopped him from spewing more bullshit out his mouth. Just like she had known it would.

Sure, there were times when he felt manipulated, but it wasn't like he was some innocent lamb or some fuckery like that. He knew he brought it on himself with hismoody behaviour and stupid self-destructive bullshit.

That was just it though; she shouldn't have to worry about his mood all the time, and how he was going to treat her from one day to the next. Not when her health depended onhow well she could keep herbody and mind calm and at ease.

Edward was right in the middle of beating himself up over his lack of self control again, when a knock interrupted his pity party.

He cursed under his breath as he went to get the door, hoping the persistent knocking wouldn't disturb Anthony's slumber.

"Yes?" he asked, cracking it open just wide enough to see Alice standing in the hallway, smiling brightly at him. Of course they would send Alice to check on him. There was no escaping Alice, when she had her mind set on something.

"I know you're moping, but can I come in for two seconds?"

He stared at her for a moment before nodding, "Tony is sleeping, so you better be quiet," he told her as he held the door open.

"Is that him snoring?" she asked, peering around him.

"No, that's the chainsaw I left running."

She ignored his irritated reply. "He definitely gets that from you."

"What? The snoring?"

"No, the mouth-drooling-bed-head-messiness, " she teased, getting back at him.

"Har, har," he snorted, crossing his arms across his chest, "You almost got me to crack a smile."

"Almost…Should I take that as a challenge?"

He shook his head, heaving a sigh. "Did you come here for a reason, Al? I've got moping to get back to."

"You can do that later. Right now you're wanted in dad's office."

"What? Dad isn't even home, he's working tonight."

"Sure, but Bella is having a three-way-phone-conversation with dad and special agent Clearwater in dad's office. They want you to join in," she explained. Then, with a slight giggle, she added, "Boy, that came out sounding dirty, but it's really not, though. Emmett is up there too."

"In dad's office? What's this about? And why are you all letting her run up and down those stairs, when she should be off her feet resting?!"

"Relax, Em carried her. I've already told you all I know. I tried to find out more, trust me, but she wasn't having it. She said she'd get in trouble, if she didn't speak to you about it first."

"Alice, you're a terrible liar."

"Alright, I know one more thing. I overheard Bella talk about a birth certificate."

"Anthony's birth certificate?

"Could be… I only caught the end of what I assume was a phone conversation. She told someone that she was going to need a copy of that certificate. That's all I heard."

"And you didn't ask her about it?"

"I tried, but that's when she told me she wanted to speak with you first. You need to hurry your ass up and go to her, so that we can find out more. The suspense is killing me!" She all but shoved him out the door. "This is big, I can feel it."

"Al, wait!" he protested, turning to look at her. "You say that a lot, you know, that you feel and see things, and we usually….well…"

"Make fun of me mercilessly for hours on?"

"When you get things wrong, yes, but a lot of times you're spot on… Listen, there is one thing that's been bugging me. That thing you wrote, in that text message?"

"What thing are you talking about? I write a lot of things in a lot of messages?"

"When you texted Bella about my nightmare. You wrote some gibberish about an ancient, Latin horse. Did you have like a vision about it or something?"

"Oh, that… I should totally play the psychic card on this one, but no, it wasn't a vision. Not this time. It actually came straight from the horses mouth," she explained, pointing at him. "It came from something you told me months ago."

"Me?"

"Yes, you! It was back in June, I think, when we were both home with that cold, remember? It was the middle of a the afternoon and we we're watching a movie and you jolted awake from a nap and started talking nonsense about being trapped in a car by a running horse. At the time I think I thought it was the cough syrup making you loopy, but now I'm thinking it must have been one of your nightmares, right?"

"Eh, what exactly did I say?" Edward asked, feeling the hair at the back of his neck stand on end.

"I asked if you meant a race horse and you answered, 'no, it's old, it's Latin'."

"And you never thought to bring it up again when I was more lucid?"

"No, I had all but forgotten about it until yesterday when you talked about being trapped or feeling trapped in that car."

He considered this for a moment then he asked, "Did Bella explain about the license plate?"

"Kebi, the mythical steel horse? Yes, funny how things fall into place sometimes!?"

"Freaky is more like it. Am I sleeping? Is this all part of some long ass nightmare that's been building up for years?"

"Need me to pinch you?"

"Ouch!" Edward yelped. "What did you do that for?" he grumbled, but she had already walked past him and was halfway down the hallway.

"Come on, get moving! Time's wastin."

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.…..

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"… and that's pretty much it, "Bella concluded from her seat in Dr. Cullen's posh office chair. Her feet were elevated and she was in a reclining position with her laptop popped up on the crammed desk beside her.

"Now you know the basics. You're all here because more brains equal more ideas and because I don't feel like repeating everything numerous times, hence the conference call set up."

"So basically you are saying that you are only using me for my brain?" Emmett exclaimed, his expression serious for all of two seconds before he let out a loud ringing laugh.

"What brain?" Edward muttered under his breath. Emmett heard him and grabbed the nearest book from the shelf behind him, lobbing it at his brother.

"Hey, hey, knock it out you two! If you're going to fight do it outside, but not here," Bella warned. "Clearwater, you still with us or did you fall asleep?"

"No, I'm still here. I don't have all night, though."

"Dr. C?" she asked, "You still there?"

"Yes, go on," Carlisle's voice filled the room, sounding flat and tinny as everyone did on speaker-phone. "I'm all ears."

Bella, Edward and Emmett were all seated in Dr. Cullen's home office, while Dr. Cullen was stuck with paperwork in his office at the hospital. Seth's precise location was a little unclear. It sounded like he was inside a mall or something, but he claimed he was driving.

"Seth, why don't you tell us what you've found out today," Bella suggested, giving Emmett a stern look, when she saw him open his mouth to interrupt. He pouted, but sat back down in his chair.

"Right, so I swung by the last known address I had managed to dig up, but unfortunately someone else is living there now. Ms. Nahuel moved out two maybe, three years ago."

"Any new address?"

"No, but I've asked around a bit at the apartment complex and around campus. Someone directed me to a coffee shop right beside the university library, and the UW teaching hospital."

"'Jackie's', you mean?" Carlisle interrupted. "I suppose the name could have changed since the last time I was there, but I think I know what place you're talking about."

"Yes, Jackie's. A car that fits the description has been seen parked in the library staff parking lot, next to Yalanta's Shoe Repair, a few days a week over a rather long period of time, years even."

"Meaning the car owner probably works close by. Either at the coffee shop or the library," Bella concluded.

"Or the shoe place," Edward suggested, pushing Bella back in the chair again. She hadn't even realized she had moved. This bed rest business was hard work!

"Or Yalanta's Shoe Repair, " she relented, squeezing Edwards arm. "You'll check it out, right Seth?"

"I already have. I've spoken to a Mrs. Jackie O'Neal, who is the owner of the coffee shop. Charming old lady. She is pushing 80 and has been basically completely deaf for fifteen years, but she won't wear her hearing aid because she doesn't care what anyone has to say."

"I remember her," Carlisle mused. "The service was a bit lacking, but her lemon cream pie and blackberry pie we so good I'm drooling just thinking about them."

"Drooling over an older woman, eh dad?" Emmett quipped, before letting loose a 'mwah-ha-ha'.

Carlisle made a sound that sounded like coughing, or maybe choking.

"No worries, doc. I can report that the old dragon is still quite the catch if you're into if you're into blue hair and wrinkles," Seth laughed, before steering the conversation back on course. "Listen to this. Mrs. O'Neal has indeed employed a Maria Nahuel to wait tables for her. Ms. Nahuel started working there four years ago and she used to work evenings and weekends to support her college education. She's has since then completed her degree in human resources management and is currently holding a part time administrative position at some law firm. Mrs. O'Neal was not sure where exactly, so I'm going to have to do some more asking around."

"Did you find out anything about Anthony?" Edward inquired, tapping a pen against the table in a most annoying way.

"Nope, which is odd. I couldn't come right out and ask about it, but there was no mention of a child. Also, there has been no absence long enough to hide a pregnancy."

"Right, but are you're sure the old dragon's vision is any better than her hearing?!" Emmett pointed out. "Besides, if she's pushing 80, she's probably a bit on the senile side."

"That's not the impression I got."

Seth sounded a bit annoyed at having his judgement questioned, so Bella hurried to ask another question.

"When was the last time she heard from her? Was it recently?"

"Yes, fairly recently. With new position only being a part time gig, she has been picking up occasional shifts at the coffee shop at the end of each month to make enough money to pay her bills. She worked both Halloween and Thanksgiving, but has not been around since then."

"Thanksgiving? That's around the same time I was contacted by social services," Edward commented. "You think she has gone into hiding? Skipped town?"

"Do we have a way to contact her?" Bella was at the edge of the seat again. "A new address? A phone number… something.. anything?"

"No, I asked too many questions, I reckon, for all of a sudden Mrs. O'Neal got suspicious and I couldn't get any more out of her. I did manage to get a word with one of the other employees though on my way out. Apparently Ms. Nahuel is moving out of town. She has been talking about it for quite some time, but has only recently decided to actually do it."

"She is leaving? Or has she already left?"

"The guy I spoke with told me that she is expected to come in one more time to pick up her Christmas bonus and return her keys."

"Good, then she's probably still around. Did he have any idea when this wold be?"

"Before the end of December, so anytime the next four or five days. Riley, that's the colleague's name, said he thought she'd be by either tomorrow, or towards the end of the week, Thursday or possibly Friday. "

"This means we need to keep an eye on the coffee shop."

"There is only one of me, Swan. Not that I'm complaining, I signed up for this, knowing full well what I was getting myself into, but I can only stretch myself so thin, before I break."

"I know, and someone needs to take a closer look at the caterer and the nightclub. We need to work on this from several angles, which is why I've gathered some volunteers." The last part was said with a little nod in Emmett's direction, "What do you say, Em? You wanna sample those pies your father was raving about?"

"It's a tough job, but someone's gotta do it," he replied with a huge grin on his face. "You want me and Ed here to stake out that café?"

"No, Edward is going with Clearwater to Volterra, the nightclub. I was thinking you and Jasper would make excellent team."

"Cool, he can be my Robin and I'll be your Batman. Together we will clean up this city."

Edward made some sort of disbelieving grunt, "Are you ever serious?!"

"You wound me," Emmett replied, bringing up a hand to his chest. Then in a more serious tone he added, "Of course I am. I wasn't cracking jokes when I pulled your sorry ass out from under that collapsed roof the other day, now was I?"

"Where is Jasper anyway?" Carlisle interrupted.

"He… well I'm not sure whre he is at the moment. Alice said he went for a drive. I'll have to fill him in later," Bella answered. "Speaking of filling in… Seth will find out at what the coffee shop opens and make some short of schedule for you guys. You'll probably need to get an early start tomorrow."

"Ai, ai, captain," Emmett saluted, while Edward made another annoyed grunt and slapped his brother in the back of his head. "I mean, yes, special agent Swan, I will go to my room and await further instructions," Emmett amended, but not without adding another little salute at the end just to spite his brother.

Bella pretended not to see their antics, addressing their father instead, "Carlisle, I was hoping you could use your connections over at UV Medicine and see what you can find out, now that we actually have a name to work with."

"Of course, I'll do that. I think there is a few people over at Swedish I can talk to as well, if that helps?"

"That would be great. You've been awfully quiet. Is there anything you'd like to add?"

"No, I'm sorry I haven't contributed more," Carlisle replied sheepishly. "I've been listening, it's just that I've simultaneously been running some searches in our medical records database…. My fingers were itching, I couldn't help myself. Nahuel isn't a particularly common name. Don't worry though, I haven't missed anything. While I may not have perfected the art of multitasking just yet, I'm a really good listener."

"Oh yeah, and he is modest too," Emmett snorted.

"So, did you find anything."

"No, but I only have access to the local files at the moment, and as far as I know there are no known connections to Forks, right?"

"Right. Well, I too have been running some searches. I had this feeling I had seen the name somewhere in my previous research. Turns out there is a birth certificate for a Jamison Anthony Eduarte Nahuel. Mother's name is Marie, Giovanna Nahuel. Father's name unknown, Bithdate 17th of February 2008 at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle."

"Wow, Jamison Anthony Eduarte Nahuel, that's quite the mouthful. I think we'll stick with Tony," Emmett was the first one to comment. "Is this Maria chick Latin, or what?"

"Italian, I think," Seth replied. "At least on her paternal grandfather's side And I quite like the name. A quirky or foreign sounding name usually makes my job so much easier."

Carlisle was asking something seemingly random about confirming identities with dental records, but Bella let Seth handle it while she chose to focus her attention on Edward, who had yet to respond to the news. "You okay over there?" she asked, nudging him with a foot. "You wanna hear the rest? Or should I save it for later?"

"There is more?"

"Yes, there is more. I don't know what all of this means yet, but I really am trying here to keep you posted and up-to-date on all the details. Now that we have an actual name there is a wealth of information just waiting to be discovered. "

"Fine, just get over with it. "

"A Jamison Nahuel visited the Harvey Health Center on the 14th of may last year. Mother's name is Laurie Nahuel, no adress, no SIS number. And then, only ten days later there is another mention of a Jamison, Jamison Grey, Mothers name Stella Grey, no SIS, number, no address."

"Grey?" Edward frowned and she could practically see the wheels turning in his head. It was Emmett though, who was the first, to put two and two together. "Hey, wasn't stalker Angela's real name Larissa Grey."

"Yes," Bella confirmed.

"I knew it," Carlisle was mumbling on his end of the phone line ."Do you have the DNA result back yet."

"No, not yet, but it's looking more and more likely that Angela was somehow involved in all this."

"I'd put a rush on that if I was you, Swan? You realize you'll have to take this to the boss now, don't you?!"

"I will have to have a word with Jenks, yes, because obviously I'm not going to make it in to work on Monday as previously planned. As for the rest… I will not say or do anything that could bring on big changes until I've had a chance to talk this through with Edward."

She sought out Edward's eyes needing him to see the sincerity in her words. Needing him to see that she was really trying to do this communication thing better. She flashed him a hesitant smile, but he stubbornly avoided her gaze.

Seth wasn't impressed either. "What's there to talk about?" he asked, only it wasn't a question, it was a statement. "If there is a connection, if there is DNA tying this child to Grey, it would also mean there is a connection between the child and the James T Wilson case."

"Angela's brother? The creepy photographer? The one that's wanted for murder," Emmett asked.

"And assault, and battery and firearms violations…" Bella supplied, but almost wished she hadn't when she heard Edward exhale harshly beside her.

"He's the one that… those pictures… he abused his profession...he…" It was painful hearing him struggle to complete the sentence.

"He has a previous conviction for sexual harassment," Bella offered in a cautious tone. "Unfortunately, though, he went into hiding before the sentence was imposed."

"I stand by what I said," Seth's voice boomed over the phone. "This guy is a low life piece of shit, what's there to discuss?"

"Well, I'm glad we agree here, for once," with that Edward rose from his chair. "Wait for the DNA result, or don't wait… Do whatever you see fitting. I'm done talking about this."

He left the room without another word. The door banging shut like a coffin lid behind him.

They ended the call pretty quickly after that.


	52. Chapter 51 -Clubbing

"What do you want for breakfast? How about something different than cereals today," Esme pulled open the fridge door to look inside. "Toast, bacon and eggs?"

"Nuh-uh!" Elliott argued, shaking his head as he too peeked into the fridge.

"No?" she tapped her chin pretending to ponder. "I suppose I could make another batch of pankakes? Or…. how about waffles?"

"Waffies!" the boy shouted enthusiastically and Carlisle high fived him.

"Anthony, honey, what do you say? You like waffles, right?" Esme asked, turning to the other little boy half-hiding behind the doorframe to the kitchen.

He offered no verbal response of any kind, but what he did do was move into the room and grab a firm hold on his grandfather's pant leg.

Carlisle smiled and gently poked Anthony's side. "Come on, Tiger. Time to roll up our sleeves. Your nana is clueless when it comes to working a waffle iron. She's going to need our expert help."

"Oh, sweet delusional hubby of mine. Have you forgotten you have to be at work in less than half an hour?"

"I'll call and let them know I'll be a little late."

Just then, Anthony raised his arms signaling that he wanted to be picked up, something he hadn't done often, or at all, really, around his grandparents, unless there was some sugary treat involved and even then, it was still a rare occurrence.

"See, major bonding going on," Carlisle chuckled, hoisting the child onto his hip. "It's no big deal. Besides, I was going to be late anyway, seeing as Isabella isn't awake yet and I would like to check on her before I leave."

"Alright then, I suppose…. Hey sweetie, don't climb on those!" Esme rushed to Elliott, who cleverly had figured out how to open the kitchen drawers and use them as a ladder to get up on the counter top. "You could fall and hurt yourself."

"I elp," the boy responded, picking up a few random kitchen utensils and throwing them on the floor.

"You want to help? Right, well if you could find me a big, big spoon, and a measuring cup it would be of great help. I think they are in the bottom drawer though. Here let me help you down."

"K," the toddler said agreeably enough, letting himself be lifted and placed firmly on the ground again. He didn't stand still for long though, and soon took off running laps around the kitchen island.

"I'm still looking for the on/off button on that one," Esme shook her head, but smiled fondly.

"I don't think there is one. Let me handle this," Carlisle advised, stepping forward, efficiently blocking the way for the toddler. "Hey Elliott, could you help me pull up a chair for Tony? He'll need something to stand on when he pours the ingredients and whisks the batter." He winked at his wife, because sure enough, the prospect of being left out and missing all the fun was enough to halt the toddler.

"Me, me! I make!" the boy shouted, nearly tipping over one of the heavy wooden chairs in his eager to get it over to the counter where Esme had placed the eggs and the flour.

At this point, Anthony was the one feeling left out, the boy was squirming to be put down on the ground, so much so that he knocked his grandfathers glasses askew.

"Woha! Careful now, don't break grandpa!"

"Yeah, he's an old fart," Esme snickered, snagging one toddler under each arm. "Let me help you round up the troops, old man."

Under Nana Esme's close supervision, toddler faces were cleaned, hands washed, noses wiped and pyjama sleeves rolled up. Armed with spoons, the two little helpers eagerly got started on whipping up grandma Platt's gourmet waffles. However, when it came time to start cracking the eggs, Esme ducked out off the kitchen with a 'Have fun, grandpa!' over her shoulder.

"Wait, stop! Where are you going? I thought this was a joined effort?"

"You don't need me, you're the waffle expert, remember?" she teased her husband. "I'm only kidding. However, I think I just heard a car in the driveway, so you're going to have to hold the fort on your own while I go check on that."

Carlisle checked his watch. "That would be Agent Clearwater. He's right on time. Send Emmett out to speak with him."

"He might be right on time, but no one else is. I think we're going to have to offer him to come inside and drink some coffee while he waits. Emmett is still in the shower. Jasper has yet to make an appearance this morning and I have a feeling I'm going to have to go wake Edward… again. Poor thing has a lot of sleep to catch up on."

"Fine, go! I can handle this!"

"That remains to be seen," she laughed as she walked out the door

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…..

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A good night's sleep had done well to clear her head, but even with a fresh mind, Bella found herself no closer to solving anything than she'd been the previous day. Every stone she turned over just opened up more question marks. It didn't help that she had gotten a much a later start on the day than she had planned for, cutesy of Edward, who apparently had confiscated her phone-slash-alarm clock again.

Breakfast had turned into more of a brunch affair, complete with two overstimulated, rambunctious little boys. Fun times!

Once the food was gone and the table was cleared, Bella found herself being ushered back into bed again. She didn't mind though, with Seth keeping Edward out of the house for the day, she was hoping to get some actual work done.

Pulling up the case file on her laptop, Bella scrolled all the way down to the end of the document and focused on the most-recently added notes.

_Maria Giovanna Nahuel._

_Born: November 12th, 1984_

_Parents: Giovanna Theresa Nahuel and Rafael Geosappe Nahuel. _

_Birthplace: Turner, Oregon. _

_Driver's license issued in Madras, Oregon. _

_SAT test scores were also from Madras, Madras High School._

She picked up a pencil and made a few notes on a scrap of paper. The girl had been eighteen when she moved to Seattle, her scores and grades had been good enough to get her accepted to University of Washington. She wrote down 'Scholarship' and a big question mark. Then after another moment of thought she jotted down 'Attendance?' and 'Student Health Services?'

She then went back to reading the rest of the case file. From a criminal standpoint, the woman was clean. There was no criminal record. No misdemeanors or felonies. Not even a speeding ticket or unpaid parking ticket. Reasonable credit score, fully taxed and insured, everything was in order. Her frown deepened as she read the next few lines.

_Marital Status: Unwed._

_Children; one._

_Jamison Anthony Eduarte Nahuel_

_Born: 17th of February 2008._

_Birthplace: Seattle, WA. Swedish Medical Center._

She picked up the pencil again, this time outlining what she needed to get done and the order she need to do it in. Investigating the insurance records was at the top of the list, closely followed by taking a look at the university stored student information. There was also the matter of locating the law firm where sh-…

Just then, Alice flung the door open. "Hands off that dingy keyboard Swan!" she said with a wave of her finger. "I have orders to treat you to an at-home spa day.

Bella blinked, feeling a bit ill-prepared to tackle Alice this early in the day. It wasn't even noon yet and Alice had been acting oddly unpredictable all morning. Why wasn't she jumping at the chance of spending the day with her nephews, for instance?

"Green tea facial scrub, manicure, pedicure, foot massage, the works…" Alice rattled off, as she burst into the room.

"That's sweet of you Alice," Bella managed to cut in. "I appreciate the thought, but honestly, that sounds kind of exhausting. I'm supposed to be resting. No stress, remember?"

"Nonsense, your blood pressure was the same this morning as it had been the last few readings. You're doing great."

"Well that was before the scale tried to tell me I've gained five pounds over night. Wish I'd known that before I let your mother stuffed me to the brim with waffles and toast and bacon and….. If I hurl on you by accident, I'm apologize profusely in advance." It was more information than she had planned on sharing, but it all just spilled out. "Seriously, I feel like crawling behind a rock and never come out again. If I can find one big enough that is…"

"Yes, because you're getting so big," Alice snorted, unceremoniously pulling back the blankets. "Look at that bump, it's huge!"

"It is. In the last few days I've gone from hardly showing at all to having a football up my top," Bella grumbled. She had never thought of herself as a vain person, but damn... it was no fun ballooning up like that.

"Stop complaining! It's not like you're fat, it's all baby. What you need is some pampering. You'll feel like a new person when I'm done with you."

"How about we do this tomorrow or later this week? It's not like I'm going anywhere."

"You're not talking your way out of this! Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today," Alice chirped with forced cheerfulness. "Seriously, when was the last time you shaved your legs?"

"Oh gosh, I'm not sure, last week, maybe… or the week before that?" Bella admitted, feeling a bit disgusted with herself. It wasn't just her legs that had been neglected. She wasn't a particularly 'girly' girl, but to go a over two weeks without shaving was pushing it even for her.

"It's even worse than I thought. You HAVE to let me do this!"

"Alice…. I don't HAVE to let you do anything. "

"Two hours," she pleaded. "Give me two hours."

"Alice…" Bella sighed, thinking that her friend was just being dramatic for the sake of drama. However, as it turned out she was only slightly right, this time.

"Please, I need something to do with myself, " Alice sounded unsure, which was quite a rarity for her. "I need something to turn my thoughts off." Her voice sounded strained, as if she was struggling not to laugh or, maybe, cry.

"What's wrong, Alice?"

"Nothing's wrong."

"Come on, I can see you're upset about something."

"I'm not upset. I'm just… I'm just PMSing and letting stupid stuff get to me. Jasper said something this morning that I… I just don't want to think about."

"You two got into a fight?"

"No, not really. He just told me…something, that really threw me off. "she shuddered almost violently. "You know what? I really don't want to talk about it, or even think about it. You're getting your legs waxed whether you like it or not! …Please? "

"Uhm, to be honest, I'm not sure I trust you with hot wax right now, but if you really want something to do, you could always help me wash my hair."

"And paint your nails?!" Alice bargained. "Geez listen to me, I sound like a real nut job! I should have gone with Edward to Seattle, to that Volterra place, this morning. At least then I'd have something constructive to do with my time rather than just letting my mind run rampant… . Not that this isn't constructive, it's just that…"

"Don't sweat it. I get it. I hate lying here doing nothing. And yeah, you should have gone with them to Seattle. In fact, I would have insisted on it, had I been awake when they left. I'm not sure I trust Edward and Seth to get along and get the work done. Maybe it's not too late for you to drive there and meet up with them?"

"Ha, you just want me out of your hair," Alice huffed. "Speaking of hair, let me get my stuff!"

.

…..

"Still nothing?"

An innocent enough question, yet seeing as it was the fourth time it was asked it hit a nerve big time.

"Stop asking every two god damn minutes!" Edward snapped, fighting the impulse to connect his fist with nearest wall or face. Temper control, he reminded himself, clenching and unclenching his fist.

Special agent Seth Clearwater turned around and stared hard at him, "Cullen, we're not here for a drink… or a good time. I'm doing you a favor, one I'm not even getting paid for. So unless you got something important to say, keep your eyes open and your mouth shut!"

"Sorry, man. It's just… this place," Edward made a vague gesture around the Volterra nightclub. "It gives me the willies and not in a good way."

Seth all but rolled his eyes as he replied. "Great, because gut feelings are so reliable. I was hoping you'd give me something a little more substantial to work with."

"I told you I recognized the entrance for sure," Edward replied, ignoring the jibe with some difficulty. He understood all too well where the other man was coming from. It wasn't like Edward had expected his memory to magically reappear the minute he stepped foot inside the place, but he had secretly hoped for some sort of deja vu experience, or 'aha' moment…. or something. That had not been the case though, unfortunately his memory was still as blank as it had ever been.

"I've definitely been here before, but that's it. Nothing else jumps at me at the mome-…"

"There's the manager again," Clearwater interrupted him, motioning with his head towards the bar.

Edward turned to take in the sight of the pale faced, slick-haired man that had been the one to first allow them entrance to the club. Phone in hand and security in tow, he still looked anything but happy to have them there. It wasn't like he could refuse them to take a look around though, not after Seth had flashed his shiny badge.

"I bet you he just got off the phone with his lawyer. I bet you we'll be hearing a different tune from here on out," Seth commented, as they watched the man shut his phone and put it in his pocket.

"I bet you Bella will be pissed when she hears that you claimed to be here on official FBI business," Edward muttered through the corner of his mouth.

"He wouldn't have let us inside if I hadn't said that," Seth shrugged, then slapped Edwards shoulder, "Come on, he's waving us over. Let's go see what he has to say."

"Mr. Volturi, it's quite a nice place you've got here," Seth opened with a compliment.

"Please call me Caius. Did you guys have a good look around? Things tend to look different in daylight. You should come back tonight to get the full experience."

"Maybe we will do that. You said you've had some work done on the interior? Can you please tell us about those changes?"

"Yes, well the paneling in here is new," Caius Volturi answered with a sweeping motion in the general direction of the far end wall. "Along with a new lounge seating area up front, a few more VIP booths in the back and two LED underlit dance platforms. Also we've extended the bar and added specific ordering stations."

"I see," Seth responded, leaning against the bar. "But the general layout of the place is the same now as it was three and a half years ago?"

"Yes, petty much," the man nodded in response. "Ah, there is Vicky now," he paused, snapping his fingers, before explaining. "Victoria Sutherland, the waitress I was telling you about. She is our longest working employee here at Volterra."

Edward turned to see a woman with fiery red hair walking towards them. He could tell that Seth was looking at him from the corner of his eyes, to see if he would display any sign of recognition. He didn't. He shook his head and Seth went for his badge, "FBI, special agent Seth Clearwater. I'd like to ask you a few questions."

"What is this about?" the woman asked, looking over at her boss from under her bangs.

"'The Live and Loud Birthday Bash', in April three years ago," Seth explained, without giving the other man time to respond. "Ms. Sutherland, where you by any chance working that night?"

"Maybe… Why do you ask?" she replied vaguely.

"I'm looking for someone, "Seth answered equally vague, before pointing at Edward, "Do you recognize this man? Edward Cullen?"

"No," she narrowed her eyes at him and shook her head.

"What about this woman?" he produced a photograph from his back pocket and passed it to the waitress.

"No." Another head shake.

"Are you sure? She called herself Angela Weber, though she was born Larissa Grey."

"Sorry, don't know her, never seen her."

"What about Maria Nahuel? Is that name familiar?"

"Nope," she answered, eyes unblinking.

"Are you sure?" Edward interrupted, growing impatient with the way Clearwater was tiptoeing around the subject. "We believe she was working here that particular night. She wore a nametag and a uniform of sorts….white shirt, black skirt. She had her hair, which I believe was dark, pulled back with hairpins. "

"Did you say white shirt?" the redhead inquired. "Then she must have been part of the cater staff. As you can see our colors are, and have always been, purple, black and silver," she added, motioning first to her own outfit and then towards the rear of the bar counter where some guy was restocking the shelves.

"I'll be speaking with the caterer next, Ms. Sutherland. You've made a good point," Clearwater responded, shooting Edward an irritated glare, clearly not liking the way he had taken over the questioning. "But for now lets talk about this place. How many were on your payroll that night, Mr. Volturi? In total, including bouncers and security personnel? "

The bar manager waved his hand dismissively. "You realize this was over three years ago, right? You can not expect me to remember something little like that off the top of my head."

"Of course not, but if your papers and records are in order, you shouldn't have any problem looking it up for me. I want names and contact information. I'll leave you my card and I expect to hear back from you within, shall we say, the next 48 hours."

"I'll see what I can do, but I'm afraid we've had a high turnover of part time staff in recent years."

"Excuse me," the redhead interrupted. " Did you have any more questions for me? I need to get back to restocking my station."

"We're almost done… Just a few more questions. You're a waitress, right? What exactly do your work tasks consist of?"

"I'm a cocktail waitress," she shrugged. "I take orders and bring people their drinks. When we're hosting a bigger event, like the one you mentioned, I usually work in the VIP section. If I did indeed work that night, I can assure you my only interaction with the cater staff was when I yelled at them in passing for getting in my way."

"Maybe it will jog your memory if I tell you there was a seafood buffet. "

She gave him a look that said 'Are you for real?'. "I serve drinks, nuts and lighter refreshments. That's my job and usually that's more than enough to keep me busy."

"Of course, I imagine it must have been a hectic night. The reason I'm asking is because there were some complaints regarding the food. That's why I thought it might jog your memory. I've been told a number of people had allergic reactions to the shrimps. Do you know anything about that?"

"Not really, no," she exchanged a quick glance with her boss.

"Some sort of chemical contamination," Seth offered, not willing to let the subject drop just yet. "Something about the shrimps having a nasty aftertaste. They had to pull back two of their dishes. Ring any bells?"

"Well, yeah… Now that you mention it. Though, I only heard about it afterwards."

"The food was not our responsibility," Caius, the bar manager, thought it wise to cut in. "From what I recall three people got some mild rashes and a fourth guy went into anaphylactic shock and had to seek medical attention. But I believe you already know this…"

"I sure do," Seth responded, throwing his hands up, pointing at Edward, " The fourth guy, the one that had to spend the night in hospital, happens to be standing right here next to me."

"My apologies!" Caius hurried to apologize, though there was no trace of guilt or regret in his demeanor. "I must say I'm a bit confused. I though t you said you were here regarding a missing person. Like I said before, the food was not our responsibility."

"The missing person we're looking for is Maria Nahuel; the woman who we believe took care of Mr. Cullen when first started showing signs of suffering from an allergic reaction."

"No, hold up. It was guy…. " the waitress suddenly shook her head, speaking directly to Edward. "It was a guy that took care of you and drove you to the hospital. I saw when you were lifted off the floor and led out to the car."

"Ms. Sutherland, I thought you said you only heard about this incident afterwards?"

"No, I saw it, I just didn't know what it was I saw at the time. There was a commotion. I mistakenly though security had broken up another drunken brawl. We get those quite often, you know" she paused, facing Edward again, "You were led, or carried I suppose, by three guys. They brought you out through the kitchen and the delivery entrance. Only one of them got in the car with you and it was definitely a dude."

"Peter Whitlock?" Seth and Edward, both asked at the same.

She shook her head. "I don't know… He was blond… I think..:"

"Can you show us?"

"What? The backdoor?"

"Yes."

"Uhm, sure… This way," she walked them into the staff only area behind the bar. It was a large space, littered with cabinets and storage units and of course, shelf after shelf of glass bottles. There was an open archway leading into what looked to be a break room.

"I was getting more ice, so I came in through this door and went over to the freezers on this side," the woman pointed, scratching her head. "You see that table? You were slumped on the floor next to it. After they got you back on your feet, you all went out that way," she pointed in another direction. "That's pretty much it… I didn't pay much attention…"

Edward looked at Seth, then his eyes focussed on the table in break room, trying to imagine himself lying on that floor. Suddenly he felt a roaring in his ears. He recognized the cheap looking, dark stained, oak flooring. His mouth filled with saliva, and his stomach lurched. He had definitely seen it before, even had his face pressed up against it, if this flash of memory was anything to go on.

"Cullen, you alright?"

He jolted at the sound of Seth's voice "The coloring and grain pattern… I was here, face down on that floor, the room was spinning. I couldn't… breath," he panted. Suddenly dizziness threatened to engulf him, so he gripped the nearest thing to keep his legs from giving out on him. He had no wish to see that floor up close again.

Edward wasn't sure how much time passed before his mind started functioning again. He had a vague recollection of hearing Clearwater order everyone out of the room. He also remembered croaking out a request for something to drink. When the tightness in his chest finally began to ease again, he found himself sitting on a chair with a glass of something pale and bubbly in his hand.

He trembled and spilled some of the liquid on his knee. This somehow triggers a new set of memories. "Cold, and wet," he muttered.

"Do you want a towel?"

Edward looked up and saw a weary looking Seth Clearwater hovering some distance away. "No, I meant I was already cold and wet when I ended up on the floor. I must have already been outside… The car, the parking lot, that whole ordeal must have happened before the shrimps, or whatever it was that got me sick, happened."

"That would be the logical order of things," Clearwater agreed. "Anything else?"

"Not sure, but I think I only went inside again to look for Jasp-… No, damn it! Peter… I was looking for Peter,"

Edward tried to stand up, but swayed so violently that Seth had to grab his arm. "Sit down, relax! Let me get you some more water."

He watched Seth retrieve a bottle of sparkling spring water, flavored with Grapes and infused with organic ingredients, according to the label.

Bottles… there was something about bottles… green ones… small ones…

He shook his head to rid the feeling, but that only caused the pounding behind his temples to intensified.

Alcohol, there had definitely been alcohol in those bottles. This wasn't news though, he already knew he had been drinking that night.

Then he thought of something else. "Someone, not Peter, a… a female I think, was urging me to drink water and eat something… to sober up."

"The same woman that was in the car with you?"

"No, not the woman from the car. She got pulled aside by some boss person and yelled at for disappearing, I think. Something about taking breaks she wasn't entitled to take."

"So there was two women?"

"I don't know, maybe? I don't think the car woman wanted me to sober up. I don't think she wanted me to go inside and look for Peter. I'm pretty sure she was trying to get me to leave…with her… but I wouldn't. I didn't want to….I…" He squeezed his eyes shut, taking a series of deep breaths before he spoke again. "She smoked cigarettes. She wore stilettos… and then she disappeared. I just wanted to find Peter and leave."

"Anything else?"

"No," he shook his head. "I want to leave. Can we please leave…Like, right now!"

"Of course," Clearwater agreed willingly. "How about we go get some lunch? Then we can come back and check out the parking lot."

"How about we leave and never come back," Edward grumbled, though he knew the other man was right. This wasn't over yet, not by a long shot.

…

…..


	53. Chapter 52 - Jaspers tale

She came to slowly, but didn't open her eyes straight away. Something pricked her awareness; a movement, a presence, and then, a brush of cold air as a door was opened somewhere nearby.

"Bella?" a voice called out, followed by a "Shhh! Let her sleep, she needs it."

Bella knew at least one of those voices … Edward was home. Edward was home and Bella was curled up on top of the covers, fully dressed, with her contacts still in and everything. This almost made it seem like she had fallen asleep waiting for him to come back. But no, she did not remember making a conscious decision to do so. Either she had slept a longer than she had initially planned for or Edward was home early. The last thing she remembered was laying down for a quick post dinner nap.

Just then a low grunt was heard, followed by more whispering.

"It's important."

"Can't it wait? "

"No... It can't wait."

"She should be resting, you know that lying down thing you're supposed to do after a significant hospital stay."

"I know that, but…"

It was then that Bella recognized the second voice as that of Jasper. If Jasper had something important to tell her, it could only mean one thing.

Without thinking Bella shot right up and blurted, "It's Peter, isn't it? Did he finally call?"

The move was so sudden and uncoordinated that, when her vision blacked out for a few seconds, she nearly fell off the bed. Edward, being the one standing closest, lurched forward to catch her, only to cause their heads to smack together with a resounding thud.

"Fu-… Ouch! Cullen, you're giving me a headache, more sothan usual," Bella winced, rubbing her temple.

"Oh no, this one is all on you," he protested, carefully touching his own forehead, where a bump was already starting to form. "You were about to faint. I saved you from falling and breaking your foolish neck."

"You don't break your neck from a two feet fall. Besides I was perfectly fine up until two minutes ago when you guys barged in here. What time is it anyway? I wasn't expecting you home so soon."

"Quarter past eight," Jasper responded, stepping inside the room with Alice closely in tow. "Sorry about waking you. I didn't think you'd be asleep since it's still early and all. Also, I thought your colleague would have called ahead to let you know we were on our way back. I guess he didn't… You should give him a call, he'll explain the change of plans."

"Oh, don't be so diplomatic," Alice interrupted, slapping his arm lightly. "Clearwater got fed up with them and sent them home early, because someone -cough- Eddie -cough- had a rough day and was being a big cry-baby about it."

"I was not," Edward barked indignantly, glaring at his sister "Besides, how would you know, you weren't there."

"I know because Jasper told me about it."

"Then you heard it wrong or he told it wrong, because that's not what happened. Look, neither of you were there, so you should both stop acting like you know anything about the day I've had."

"You're saying we're lying?"

"I'm saying you weren't there, you shouldn't be talking shit."

"Still being a cry-baby, I see…"

"Don't call me that!"

"Why? You're not exactly making your case, Whiney McWhinerson!"

"You're such a brat!"

"Wuss!"

"Imbecile!"

"Idiot!"

The two kept bickering until Jasper decided he had heard enough and swiftly silenced Alice with a hand over her mouth.

"Hey, I was talking!" she protested, once he loosened his grip to let her breathe.

"So was I, or did you forget?" Jasper answered, giving her a look that must have told her to knock it off, because she quieted down quickly.

Edward, however, was not as easily placated. "No offence Jasper, but I think I've heard enough from you today," he stated, interrupting his friend rather brusquely. "Those of us suffering from a split skull and/or blood pressure issues need to rest."

Bella felt her eyes narrow of their own volition. "I'm fine Edward," she made no attempt to hide her aggravation. It seemed it didn't matter how many times she repeated that phrase, he would never take her word for it. "If you feel you've reached your limit for what you can handle today, then just say so. Don't use me as an excuse!"

He shook his head, "You're pale as a damn sheet and the way you wobbled when you tried to sit up….You would have fallen off the bed if I hadn't been there to catch you. That's not fine, not by a long shot."

"That was just me moving too abruptly. A little dizziness is to be expected. It's not a big deal."

"Well, excuse me for caring about my unborn child…" he grumbled. "Clearly I'm the only one around here that understands the concept of resting. Whatever Peter had to say, it can wait 'til morning."

"Are you serious? That won't do my blood pressure any favors. Come on, I've rested plenty today. I've been good today. I've enjoyed your mother's cooking to the point where I'm concerned I might burst at the seams."

"No, he's right!" Jasper suddenly spoke up, with a tight voice. "Now that I have had time to think about it, the matter I wanted to discuss seems to have lost some of its urgency."

Alice snorted in a very unladylike way. "Jasper Whitlock, don't you dare tell me you're losing your nerve!"

"No, its just… I don't want this to turn into a huge argument," He grimaced, rubbing a hand on the back of his neck.

"If you don't tell them, I will! "she warned him. "And you know me, I'm not very tactful with what I say, now am I?!"

"You'll do no such thing!" Jasper sulked, crossing his arms, looking pleadingly at his girlfriend.

"Then you better start talking!"

There was some sort of staring communication going on between them, one that Jasper apparently lost.

"I think I need to sit down for this," he stated, and nudged Edward over so that he could sink down on the desk next to him.

Edward looked like he was about to protest again, but Jasper had already started talking, or rambling, as his words came out in a frenzied rush. "I guess the first thing you should know is that this is not about Peter… like at all. My cousin has nothing to do with what I'm about to tell you. I still haven't heard from him," he paused briefly to catch his breath.

"There is no easy way of saying this, so I'm just going to go ahead and blurt it… I know her." He squeezed his eyes shut. "There I've said it. I know her."

"Know who?" Bella and Edward asked in unison.

"HER!" he repeated with emphasis and pushed his hands through his disheveled hair.

"Maria Nahuel!" Alice supplied, when they still looked like a question marks.

"What?!"

"How?"

"It's true." Jasper bowed his head as if it was a difficult admission to make. "It's a crazy, bizarre coincidence thing. It probably means nothing, but …" he laughed nervously. "I used to know someone by that name. It was years ago. I didn't realize.. All this talk about the car… I should have put the pieces together sooner."

"So that's what this morning was about?" Bella asked, looking between Jasper and Alice. "That's what you were arguing about?"

"We weren't arguing, but yes," Alice confirmed with a short nod at the same time as Jasper said "I had to tell Alice first."

"He came clean to me about it this morning and some of the stuff he told me… let's just say it's been eating at me all day."

"Because when he says he used to know her, he means in a biblical sense," Bella guessed.

"It was the year Alice did her internship in Milan." Jasper hurried to explain. "We had broken up. I'm not proud of what I did, but…"

"It's okay Jaz. I was dating other people too."

"Wait, are you saying you slept with her?" Edward asked, sounding confused and distressed all at once.

"NO! I mean, not really. Or… well I guess it's a matter of definition," Jasper shook his head, looking increasingly uncomfortable. "She was…. it was… We were going after that record deal, you, me and Taylor, that crack head drummer that screwed us over. You remember that whole ordeal right? "

Edward gave him a look that said 'how could I forget?'

"It was 2005 or 2006, I think?" Jasper looked at Alice for help.

"2005. I left for Milan as soon as school was out for the summer."

"Alice were in Italy and you and me did like thirty something gigs in a six months period of time, before Taylor ripped us off and stole our equipment."

Bella threw her hand up. "Wait! Who stole your equipment? And why is this the first I've heard about it?"

"It's not important," Alice shushed her. "I'll fill you in on the details later."

"I didn't date her and I didn't have actual sex with her, as in penetrating ANYTHING, but I'd be lying if I said no pleasure was had and no body fluids where swapped." He stopped to mouth 'I'm sorry Ali,' before he continued. "She was really into me and she was kind of bold about it. It was flattering."

"You're being too nice about it," Alice huffed. "She was a groupie, plain and simple."

"Fine she was my first ever groupie experience… my only groupie experience for that matter. I'm not popular like Eddie here, who has to fend of stalkers and admirers at every turn."

"One stalker , ONE and it's nothing to joke about."

"Sorry… So this girl, Maria, she was on a road trip with one of her friends. I don't know how they had heard of us, but they planned their trip around our gigs; Albany, Boston, NY… "

"Riiight, that doesn't sound stalkish at all."

"Nah, they were just two college kids on summer break. I hung out with them, we had drank some beer, smoked some weed and talked. Before long the talk turned to a make-out session with some heavy petting and such."

"What? With the both of them… at the same time?"

"No, the other girl would always disappear after a few beers. They probably had some agreement, some secret girl code or something. Anyway…. Maria was a nice girl, good looking, great sense of humor, EXCELLENT taste in music. It was all fun and laughs for a while… Until it wasn't . She just got clingy real fast."

"Clingy, like possessive?" Bella asked.

"She wanted more and I couldn't… I just didn't want to take it further than a little messing around. … but she kept trying. I don't blame her. I should have never encouraged her in the first place."

"Encouraged her, how?"

"I… I might have lethersuckmeoff."

"You might have… what?"

"She offered BJ's and I didn't stop her. Not one of my proudest moments, but it happened alright!"

"Thought you said you didn't penetrate anything," Edward snorted, earning a death glare from his sister.

"Don't be crude," Bella said, siding with Alice. "I want to hear the rest. What happened next?"

"Like I said, she got clingy and I had to set her straight. I told her it wasn't going to work out, that I had no interest in starting anything with her, that I was still hung up on my ex," he said with a little smile in Alice's direction. "No one likes being rejected, but she handled it pretty well. There was some drama, one of my guitars was wrecked, but her reaction was justified and she calmed down soon enough. She said she didn't want to lose contact with me and asked if we could remain friends. We exchanged email addresses and kept in touch for a while, but the whole thing felt forced and fizzled out rather quickly."

"You emailed back and forth? Do you have anything from those conversations saved? "

He shook his head.

"Did she ever talk about anything personal? Any details, big or small could help."

"Eh.. " he scratched his head. "She went to UW of Washington. She drove a car that used to belong to her grandfather. She mentioned a sister. I don't remember what else we talked about… Sorry."

"That's okay. Can you tell us what she looked like?"

"Curvy brunette, with dark eyes and long, dark, wavy hair. Medium height, slim waist and generous hip-… "

"We don't need her measurements," Alice interrupted, annoyed.

"Sorry, love," he grimaced. "She was a pretty girl, pretty face, but she had nothing on you."

"Oh, please." Edward rolled his eyes. "Way to not sound like a complete douche."

"Like you've room to talk! Do I have to remind you that the girl we are talking about is Anthony's mother?" Alice retaliated.

This seemed to give Edward something to think about. He scrunched up his face like he didn't understand. "Did I meet her, Jasper? I mean obviously I did, eventually, but this was years before Anthony was born."

"I think you met her twice that summer, if I remember correctly. The first time was just a brief encounter. We asked if you wanted to hang out with us, but you were tired and wanted to sleep. The second time we went to a bar and had a few drinks with them."

"Them? Maria and the friend you mentioned before?" Alice asked.

"Yes," Jasper nodded, "Not sure what her name was. She was a tag-along, never said much. Honestly, I didn't pay her that much attention. She wore glasses and had a head full of bushy brown hair. That's the best description I can give you."

"Bushy hair?" Edward looked up at him with slightly horrified expression on his face. "I remember her… You dragged me with you on some stupid double date. I was pretty miffed because while you were busy sucking face with your new lovely voluptuous acquaintance, I was stuck with the mousy looking, bushy haired, flat-as-a-board friend."

"You weren't miffed, you were jealous, there's a difference."

"Don't look so smug! What if this Maria person was only using you to get to me? Ever thought of that?"

"Yeah, right," Jasper snorted. "I never saw her show any interest in you what so ever. No, wait… That's not entirely true. She did ask about your whereabouts once or twice, but only because her bff wanted to know what you were up to."

"So the friend had a thing for Edward and was being quite obvious about it?"

"Yeah, but you heard him, the poor girl never stood a chance. She wasn't pretty enough."

"Hey, I'm not that shallow!" Edward protested, " It wasn't the way she looked, it was the way she acted. She lied about her age for starters. She could barely pass for 17, no way she was 21… and also the way she spoke was kind of weird."

"Weird? Weird how?"

"I don't know... intense…she was just... weird. I don't know how to explain it. Jasper, help me out!"

Jasper shrugged. "I suppose the name thing was a bit odd."

"What name thing?"

"She introduced herself by different names every time I met her. Laurie, Ella…. Angie…"

"Angie?" Alice questioned. "She called herself Angie? And Ella as in Ang-E-L-A?"

"She told me to call her Rissa." Edward's face had turned an alarming shade of pale green. "Laurie, Rissa… Laurissa."

"Let's think this through before we jump to any conclusions," Bella tried to reason, giving Edward a concerned look over his sisters head. "Jasper, are you sure about this? Are you sure it was the same girl, the same friend, you were introduced to and not different friends at different times."

"No it was the same girl. The bushy hair kind of stood out…. and also she had a tattoo." His eyes widen at the realization. "Gosh! I can't believe I didn't think of that sooner. They had matching tattoos, Maria and her friend!"

"A butterfly tattoo?"

"No, not a butterfly. It was a dragonfly."

"A dragonfly?"

"Yes, 'Dragonfly', like in the song."

"What song?"

"It's one of Eddie's masterpieces," Alice answered, then launching into reciting lyrics about some poor mutilated dragonfly, lying broken in the gutter, stretching its rainbow wings, giving one last flutter. Very morbid and dark, very old-school Eddie Masen.

"I wrote that, like a decade ago," Edward groaned. "Not my best work and definitely not something I would have thought was tattoo-inspiring."

"Maria had one that was fist-sized, just under her jaw line, off to the side, near her ear."

"On her left hand side or right hand side?"

"Left, I think. The other girl, whatever her name was, had a similar one. Only hers was much smaller and sort of hidden where the hairline meets the spine at the back of the neck. She said something about having to hide it whenever she went home to see her parents. They were old fashioned. I think she said her father was a priest or something like that"

"Angela had a tattoo on the back of her neck," Alice recalled with a frown. "I never got that close of a look, but definitely had some sort of ink there. Edward, you saw it, didn't you?"

"Don't look at me, I never saw no tattoo," he snapped, clearly frustrated..

"Neither did I," Bella admitted, turning to look on the coffee table for her phone. "This should be easy enough to verify though. I know the coroner that examined her body. He's the thorough kind, he usually take notes of tattoos and other distinguishing marks. Let me send him a text… "

"Wait..." Alice snapped her fingers as if she just realized something "Wasn't Angela's step dad a reverend of some Baptist Congregation somewhere here in the Washington area? "

"Yes, he still is," Bella confirmed. "Not sure about his opinions on body art, but I know there were some strained relations in that family for sure."

Jasper's confused expression, with furrowed brows and deep frown, would have been amusing any other time than this. "Are you trying to tell me that they are one and the same person? Because I'm telling you they looked nothing alike," he protested, shaking his head. "Angela had nice hair, flat and shiny."

"Yeah, what he said," Edward agreed. "They looked nothing alike, except maybe for the coloring. Dark hair, dark eyes…. and the height."

"Forget about the way she looked. Looks can change. Focus on the way she talked, the way she moved, her body language. Is it possible?

"I still don't see it…" Jasper said slowly. "But I guess at this point, anything is possible. She had this thing; she always avoided eye contact with me. Angela, I mean. She never looked me in the eye. I didn't think much of it then… but…"

"Angela might have been worried you'd recognize her."

"Recognize her as the friend of a girl I had a fling with briefly over five years ago? Why? That makes no sense? I don't get any of this."

"None of us do. I think the only one that can give us any answers is the elusive Maria Nahuel."

"On that note," Bella said, grabbing her cell phone to look at the time. "I need to check in with Seth. You guys can stick around if you like or…"

"We'll get out of your hair," Jasper rose to his feet. "Won't we, Alice?" When she made no indication of moving he slung an arm around her waist and pulled her with him out of the room.

"I'll be back," she called over her shoulder.

Jaspers head popped back into the room, "Don't worry. She'll be back… but not tonight…" Then he was gone and the door slammed closed with a clang.


	54. Chapter 53- The ketchup effect

**Chapter 53 - The ketchup effect**

In the wake of Jaspers revelations, Bella had tried to get Edward to open up and talk about his day. His memory was finally working with him, not against him. This was good, wasn't it? Even if it had caused him to have a mild panic attack it was still a step in the right direction and something he had needed to get out of his system. Only Edward didn't see it that way and the whole conversation didn't go over all too well.

Between the pair of them their emotions seemed to be all over the place. They go into another bickering fight and by the time Carlisle returned for another reading of Bella's blood pressure, it had spiked quite high and she was sent directly to bed with strict orders to DO NOTHING but sleep, sleep, sleep.

Easier said than done, when your head is filled with a million thoughts moving a mile a minute. Deifying doctor's order, she got Seth on the phone for a quick debriefing. Then she booted up her computer, wrote down some notes, and fired off a few quick emails, before she finally settled down and tried, in vain, to go to sleep.

Around midnight, Edward poked his head into her bedroom to check on her. It was easy to see that he hadn't expected to find her awake. He virtually froze for a moment with his hand still resting on the door handle. Then he coughed uncomfortably and stuttered out an apology for disturbing her peace and for being incapable of holding a conversation with her without picking a fight.

He looked utterly exhausted when he said this, his face was pale and grim. No wonder he was having trouble keeping his temper under control when it was clear that he still didn't sleep more than a few hours at a time. Bella wanted to tell him to take the sleeping pills she knew Dr. Cullen had offered prescribe for him. But she also had a feeling she knew his reasoning for not taking them, so instead she settled for telling him that he had nothing to apologize for.

After all, it took two to make an argument… It wasn't like she hadn't known she was pushing a sore subject, one that she perhaps shouldn't have pushed. She couldn't help it. It was just that she felt that if they didn't start talking to each other soon, she would go insane!

Not giving him time to respond, she then went on to offer an apology of her own; for prying and pressing him to discuss something he was obviously uncomfortable with.

This seemed to make Edward quite a bit agitated, but he let her words pass without comment. He was trying. She could tell that he was trying to keep his act together. He nodded his head and bid her good night, but when it came time to leave he hesitated in the doorway, as if there was something else he wanted to get off his chest.

"Yes?" Bella asked, hoping that he would open up to her after all, if only a little.

He didn't, instead he just apologized one more time and then he was gone, leaving Bella once again alone with her thoughts.

She stared at the ceiling for a long, long time, and did not weep… much. Hardly at all. Okay, but just a little. Damn hormones!

It didn't help that the baby was awake and active too. The little bugger was putting pressure on her intestines, making it almost impossible to find a comfortable position to lie in.

Bella finally got some semblance of sleep around three in the morning, but not before pouring her heart out in a lengthy voice message.

Recording messages to herself was a habit she had picked up during her F.B.I. training. She rarely ever went back and actually listened to them. In fact she hated the sound of her own voice. However, she had found that just the act of recording her thoughts alone was something that helped committing details and must-do's to her memory.

It was a simple and effective technique that kept her mind sharp and focused. It was also oddly therapeutic; a way to unburden your heart and let the heavy load off your soul.

An image of Edward's hesitant behavior on the doorstep flashed before her eyes. He had looked like he had something he wanted to say, but couldn't, and she wanted to know what it was.

Swallowing about a gallon of pride, she grabbed her phone again and recorded a second message, which she forwarded to Edward. It wasn't anything revolutionary or even particularly deep. She harbored no real illusions that anything she had to say would sway him one way or another, but as long as they were talking there was still hope.

_- Can we be done apologizing and move on to healing and reconciliation? I know I promised to give you space, but I don't know how to step back any further. I don't have anything to step back to. I'm not asking you to trust me, I'm not asking you to let your guard down. I'm not asking you to be head over heels for me. I'm just asking you to try._

_I've made mistakes and poor choices. I have let things get between us, but…but I can't stop trying. If you're not progressing, you're digressing... and I don't think neither of us have any desire to go backwards. Now the trouble is... how do we go from here? Talk to me, please!-_

She fell asleep with her phone in her hand.

.

….

.

The following day proved to be a very busy one. It was that damn ketchup effect; first came nothing, then nothing, and then came everything at once.

It started with Carlisle discreetly pulling Bella aside at breakfast, handing her a handwritten note.

"What's this?" she looked at it for a moment and then came up with a deduction, "Pharmacies," she guessed.

"Yes," he nodded. "Umm... maybe you should sit down while I explain."

"I'd rather remain standing, if you don't mind. My butt is numb from all the lying around I've been doing," Bella answered, giving him a cautious glance, "Unless it's bad news…,"she trailed off. "Like protein in the urine sample or..?"

"No, it's nothing like that," Carlisle hurried to assure her. "It's nothing bad. Remember how I told you about the EMT driver was called out to pick up a sick child in from Judkins Park area and bring him to the ER of the UW Medical Center, sometime around June last year."

She nodded. "A little Tony, with breathing troubles that was brought in by a woman that wasn't his mother."

"Exactly, only I couldn't find any records of a boy by the name Tony, being admitted or treated that fit the timeframe."

"Because he was admitted as EdardNahuel?" Bella guessed.

"That's correct," He nodded. "Don't ask me how I know this, but the child was prescribed an inhalator with really strong antihistamines to keep his airways open. I've written down the two pharmacies where the prescription was filled."

"By Maria Nahuel?"

"Yes, the prescription was valid for three refills, all three of them where picked up by a Maria Nahuel. See the dates?" he pointed to one in particular. "The last date was only three months ago. Not sure if this is of any help for you, but I want to contribute any way I can."

"No, this is good. This might actually be of great relevance," she assured him with a curt nod. "I'll keep you posted on how it goes."

"Alright, but how are you planning on proceeding with this?" He frowned and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "If you don't mind me asking?"

"Surveillance cameras," she offered as explanation. When he still looked quizzically, she added, "You'd be surprised how widely used they are. Nowadays, most storefronts in all our major city centers are monitored. Three months might be a bit of a stretch when it comes to how long the footage is typically stored, but it's worth a shot."

"Is there anything I can do to help? You still need your rest. Your blood pressure…"

"I know," she hurried to interrupt him. "Thanks, but I'll let my friend Paul,back at the hq, have a go at this. He owes me one and this sort of thing is kind of his specialty," she said, giving his shoulder a squeeze, before stepping back to let Edward and Anthony pass them in the doorway.

Edward was frowning at her. Or rather he was alternating between frowning at her and shooting daggers at his father. He did not like not knowing what was going on around him that much was clear. Bella could practically hear his thought process. He was getting way past annoyed at being kept in the dark about things all the time.

Bella rolled her eyes at him, but let him snatch the note from her hand as they booth took their seats at the table. She saw him unfold it and read it, but instead of asking what the dates and addresses meant he put the note away and said nothing.

It struck her then that hehadn't spoken to her all morning. She looked him over and tried asking how he was doing. She got no response. She tried patting his arm, but he swatted her away. She asked him to pass her the salt. No reaction.

Obviously it had been a mistake leaving him that voice message the night before. Not only had he not responded to it, but he seemed to have reverted to not talking to her at all. She discreetlychecked her phone under the table; three new messages, but none of them where from Edward.

Bella knew it wasn't the time or place to mull over the things she wished she had done differently, but wallowing in self pity and regret had became a bit of a habit. For a moment, immeasurable sadness threatened to overwhelm her.

She was just moment away from bursting into tears when Edward's mother, bless her heart, decided she wouldn't have any tension or awkwardness around her table. Using all her charm and wit she dropped some absolutely hideous baby name suggestions and soon she had the whole room involved in a heated name discussion.

Bella vetoed ReneEsmee and Carlie and Edward flat down refused to even considered Edwina or E.J. as in Edward Junior.

And with that the crisis was averted… or at least postponed for a little while.

Breakfast progressed much in the same way, with playful bickering, endless chatter and noise all around. It helped that all attempts toward a real conversation were thwarted by the table-banging, food spitting duo of boys, sitting side by side in their highchairs.

Bella wasn't the tiniest bit surprised to find out that Edward's mother had managed to orchestrate it so that everyone had an excuse to leave the house straight after breakfast. It figured that she would pick this day of all days to try and push them together.

The look Esme gave them upon leaving clearly indicated that she was expecting them to get a whole lot of talking done while they were left with the house to themselves. Only they weren't by themselves, there was Tony to entertain. You'd think that would be a breeze, but nope… not his day.

At first the little guy was doing fine,playing with his toys on the floor, but then suddenly he turned cranky. Not a little cranky…super out to be a tummy acheand he was being very vocal about it.

Edward thought it to be a good idea to just let the boy cry until he got it out of his system. Uhm, yeah, out of his system it went...just not in the way Edward had anticipated it... Tony's diaper over flowed and poop was smeared not just on the boy, but on his clothes and his daddy's clothes too.

As if on cue, Bella was struck by a bout of nausea and had to go lie down. No, really. It wasn't just a bogus excuse to escape the scene. It was morning sickness in its all-consuming, green-tinged vileness. She really did feel like crap, no pun intended.

So, great morning all around…

.

….

.

Next came a phone call from Jasper who in turn had just gotten off the phone with his cousin in Bangkok.

After a long and agonizing wait,Peter Whitlock had finally managed to make contact. His timing was eerily in synch with everything else that was happening.

When asked to elaborate on the night he had driven Edward to the ER, he said he didn't remember much about it. Cullen had shown up at the club alone and unannounced; a spur of the moment thing after having seen Pete's name on a bunch of posters. They had hung out in-between sets, but had only exchanged a few words over the course of the night. The alcohol was free and offered frequently, and the club was packed with people. It wasn't the right forum for catching up on anything beyond 'what's up?' and 'What are you drinking?'.

Of course, the fun and easygoing spirit of the evening had all changed the minute Edward had dropped to the floor, and begun scratching at his face and neck, wheezing desperately that he couldn't breathe. Peter thought his buddy was acting a bit melodramatic and making a bit of a scene; there was even talk about calling an ambulance. Peter didn't like the sound of that and therefor promptly stepped in and volunteered to take him to the ER. In true Peter fashion he only intended to take Edward outside and wait for him to regain his wits, but when the swelling didn't go away, even Peter realized it was kind of serious and that Edward needed medical attention.

"And then he just left him there?" Bella interjected, "He dropped him off at the hospital and left."

"Well, that's Peter for you. He probably double parked and didn't want to be fined for it." Jasper reasoned. "Not to mention high as a kite and probably without a valid driving license."

"He didn't want to stick around and answer questions in other words."

"Something like that. He did make sure Carlisle was contacted, though. I guess in his world that's equivalent of being a responsible and caring citizen slash friend."

"So, what else did he have to say about that night?"

"Well, you know my cousin is a bit of a it's a scatterbrain, right?!"

"I've been warned, yes."

"It's a well-known fact that his attention span is shorter than a fruit fly's life. He wouldn't be able to leave a reliable witness statement, even if his life depended on it. What I'm trying to say is that I had to resort to asking blatant, leading questions to keep him on the phone for another few minutes."

"I understand…So what did you ask and what was his response?"

"For starters I tried to ask who the girl with the nametag could have been. He said she was probably some waitress or something to that extent."

"Some waitress?"

"He didn't give a name or anything. He described her as a brunette in her early twenties and explained that Cullen had this thing where he kept requesting unopened bottles of beer and water and it was always the same girl that brought them to him. She was tipped handsomely forthe trouble. She wore a nametag for sure, but Peter didn't consider it important to remember her name."

"Did he see them interact? Flirt? Touch? Anything?"

"No, but he did say he saw Cullen wander off with her at one point though, presumably heading outside for a smoke."

"A smoke?"

"Yeah, he held a pack of cigarettes in his hand. Let me reenact the conversation for you. Peter said he saw them head out. I asked 'Was that how Edward got his freak on that night? By dragging some girl out into a dark alley with him under the pretence of having a smoke?'" Jasper said exaggerated his own Texas drawl and then went on and delivered the answer to the question, mimicking his cousin's flat Midwestern accent.

"Well, it didn't happen inside the club, that's for sure. I scored some good stuff and had spent a better part of the night irritated because I couldn't find anywhere to shoot up. There were simply too many people milling around. No dark corners, no unseen places, no unattended restrooms or cloakrooms."

He kept up with the accents as he continued retelling the rest of the conversation.

Jasper- "So there was more than alcohol at play that night. Did you share with Eddie? Was it a bad trip that landed him in the ER?"

Peter - "Hell no, Cullen has always been way too paranoid to try anything besides booze, hallucinogens, and weed. Everyone knows that."

Jasper-"If it wasn't drugs, then what was it that caused the swelling, the wheezing and the scratching?"

Peter - "Hard to say… Something he ate. Everyone said the shrimps tasted funny. I only caught the end of it. When I got there, Cullen was already talking funny, shaking, sweating and stu-... "

"Wait," Bella interrupted, halting Jasper mid sentence. "I thought Peter said he was there when Edward dropped to the floor? But now you're saying he wasn't?"

"Apparently he was out back, packing his equipment into his car, getting ready to leave. Then there was ruckus inside and people calling out for him, urging him to hurry inside."

"To the break room?"

"Break room, slash storage room, slash food disposal room, apparently," Jasper confirmed. "Peter actually said the room was all kinds of nasty. They stored trash bags in there, and leftover food….and other smelly things…"

"Not a place where you would want to get naked," Bella commented.

"No, any baby-making action must have already happened at that point because the waitress was already long gone. "

"Peter said that?"

"Sort of… He said the last he saw of her was when she followed Cullen out for that smoke. Edward said the same thing, didn't he? That the waitress got pulled aside by some boss person and yelled at for taking an unauthorized break and that he didn't see her again after that."

"Yes, but his memories are still a big jumbled mess. I was just hoping for a confirmation from Peter."

"Right, well all he actually said was that he didn't see her again. He did bring up another, interesting piece of information, though. Apparently there was another woman in the break room when he got there. A woman who was sobbing hysterically, claiming it was her fault Edward got sick."

"Oh, really?! Who?"

"This is pure speculation on my part," Jasper warned. "I think the woman was from the radio station, someone handling the talents, because she recognized Edward both as a musician and a friend of Peter's. From what Peter said, she told them she found a drunk and distraught Edward stumbling around out back and brought him to sit down in the break room while she went looking for Peter."

"I think I can guess where this is going. You said they stored trash and left over food in there…"

"Yep….Apparently the last thing she said to Edward was that he should eat and drink something to sober up."

"Yikes, guess she forgot that there were bad shrimps being piled up in there. Or maybe she simply didn't know where exactly the trays with the contaminated food had been disposed."

"Either way, Edward ate of the shrimps and got sick. It must have happened in a matter of minutes."

"Did you get a name or description or anything that could help us identify this woman?"

"I'm afraid not… She was devastated and kept offering to call an ambulance, but Peter talked her out of it. That's all I know. I'm sorry. I know you were hoping to get a chance to speak with Peter yourself. I did my best though, I hope you know that."

"I know you did. No worries," Bella reassured him, and meant it. She had no doubt where his loyalty laid.

They chatted for another few minutes.

The fact that Peter hadn't brought up Maria's tattoo was a bit disconcerting to Bella. Especially seeing as Jasper said Peter was into tattoos. Scatterbrained or not, he should have noticed if the woman had a fist sized one on her neck.

Needless to say, there was still some confusion as to how it all fit together.

.

….

.

Next piece of new information – or in the context of the ketchup analogy, blob of ketchup -came in the form of a call from Seth regarding a very risqué, yet quite genius stunt that Emmett had pulled at the coffee house.

"He did WHAT?" Bella heard herself nearly shout into her phone.

Seth merely chuckled in response. "That was my initial reaction too, but no harm's done. It's quite genius if you think about it."

"How can you say that. What if Maria hears about this? What if she is warned off? What if she is told that there has been yet another stranger lurking around asking questions about her?"

"Who would tell her? The new girl? They just started training her. She's really green. She even said herself that she has only ever met Maria twice."

"It's still risqué," Bella insisted.

And it was…

Emmett wasn't exactly known for his finesse or his patience.

It had taken him less than two days to realize that being on a stake-out for hours and hours at a time was only slightly more entertaining than watching paint dry. Bored out of his mind he had taken it on himself to change things up a bit. He had thought it to be a good idea to approach the newest, greenest, employee of the establishment, a young female, student that was fresh out of high school.

Only problem was that Edward's brother genuinely wasn't aware that he due to his size tended to come across as rather intimidating and even a bit unfriendly upon first glance. What Bella feared was that even if his intent had been to try and coax this girl into talking about Maria Nahuel, his actions might have been mistaken for ill-concealed threats.

"He was smart about it, "Seth pointed out. "He told 'new girl' he'd heard that Maria was planning on leaving town and that he had been in contact with her before about buying her car. He acted like he was crazy about the car and that he was desperate to get in touch with her again."

"Did this girl even know or care about what type of car Maria drives? Sure, it's a classic, but it's not like it's a one-of-a-kind item or anything."

"Your buddy was pretty convincing from what I've been told. He got her believing that he is BIG on classic mid-century American cars, throwing around terms like carburetors and cylinder heads and thermostatic chokes."

Bella wasn't impressed. "You realize he was pulling stuff out of his butt, right?! Em doesn't know the first thing about the basic mechanics of anything that rolls on wheels and runs on gasoline. His wife on the other hand…."

"Doesn't matter. He got her talking. 'New girl' said Maria isn't working there anymore, that she hardly knows her, that she don't have her phone number. She said there were probably some personnel files she could access, but that she'd never risk her job over something as stupid as a dusty, old car. "

"See, this is what I'm talking about! The girl couldn't care less about the car AND she has a conscience. Now, she'll warn Maria for sure."

"I don't think so. She had no qualms revealing the name of the law firm Ms. Nahuel has been working for."

"Which is?"

"Irwing & Caldwell, but that's not all. She also hinted that she was pretty sure the final exchange of money and keys will take place on Friday around opening time. The owner, Mrs. O'Neal, like to handle those kind of things personally, but seeing as she's pushing 80 she doesn't come in everyday anymore."

"And Friday morning is the next time she'll be stopping by to check on the place?"

"Exactly! Apparently you can set your clock around the old dragons schedule. I spoke with the owner of the dry cleaning facility across the street. He confirmed this to be true and he's been around for twelve years."

"I'm still not happy about this, but I guess we'll see on Friday if you're right or not."

"In the meanwhile, I'm on my way over to Irwing & Caldwell."

"Wait! You can't just walk in there and ask for Maria. We need to plan this. We nee-…"

"Relax, she's not there today. I've already called ahead and checked whether or not she will be in today or later this week. She isn't expected back until first week or January. If she is in fact planning on skipping town, it might not be as imminent as we have feared, or she simply don't think it necessary to inform these people about it. I have set up a meeting with the chief of staff to find out more."

"We still need a plan. What are you hoping to achieve? You think you can get her last known address? A recent photo of her wouldn't hurt."

"Nah, I can do better than that. Give me half an hour and I'll give you the bank account where her salary is deposited every month. I've never found a corporate server I couldn't hack."

"So… this mean that even if she doesn't show up on Friday, even if she is warned and goes into hiding, we'll still be able to track her down through her money transactions."

"That's the plan, Swan!" Seth announced and then laughed at the accidental rhyme. "Tell Cullen we have her by the throat now. Friday will be the day we bring her in for questioning. That's a promise."

And there it was… after weeks, months of nothing…BAM! Everything seemed to shift and fall into place all at once.

The result of the second DNA test came in. There was only two ways it could have gone, so it wasn't a bolt-out-of-the-blue shocker. However, combined with the photos that special agent Paul Lahote had manage to extract from the surveillance cameras of the NF-059. Five Mile Rd and the fingerprints that had been officer Franklin's parting gift, they now had a much clearer understanding of what they were dealing with.

The final piece of the puzzle though, and this one was a bit unexpected, was found in the five years worth of records of bank transactions that Clearwater had obtained.

Maria Nahuel had gotten herself in some deep water. Well over her head it seamed. She would have some serious questions to answer and not just the ones Bella were preparing for her. No, there would be other FBI agents waiting to have a turn with her as well.

Come Friday the Cullen's would have some, if not all, of their answers. Bella vowed to herself to make sure of that. It could very well turn out to be the last thing she did in her professional capacity of being an FBI agent, but Edward would have his closure.

Speaking of closure… there was a text waiting for her when she returned to bed after brushing her teeth. It was from Edward and while his words weren't particularly upbeat or uplifting, they still left her feeling slightly more optimistic than before.

_-I can't believe you're still at it you stubborn woman. Give it a rest already! I've told you, I'm all talked out at the moment. Can you mention one good thing that's come out of our conversations lately?! No, didn't think so. I'm done trying, done giving hope, done hoping, and most importantly I'm done being pushed around and lied to… Speaking of being pushed around, Charlie is off the list! We're not naming our kid after the police chief that gave me my first speeding ticket!- E_

She replied with a quick _– I suppose Waylon and Mark are out as well. I don't remember if Steve ever booked you for anything, but he was kind of creepy, always leering at me and touching himself…*shudders* How do you feel about Shelly? We could spell it Chelleigh. She only gave you parking tickets, right?- B  
_

Baby names were a safe topic of conversation_, _something they could bicker and banter over without stepping on any toes... Or so she hoped...  
She went back and added a smiley just to be sure he wouldn't miss the teasing tone in her words._  
_

Oh Edward, don't give up on us now...

For the second night in a row she fell alseep with her pohne in her hand.

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….

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	55. Chap54 - Plotting, planning, possibly

AN:/ Yes, this is a bit of a filler chapter and it has no Anthony but it sets the scene for the next chapter.

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….

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**Chapter 54 - Plotting, planning, possibly some scheming**

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_December 30th-_

BP: actually not too bad this evening.

Naps: 4, slightly above average, as little Tony is very good influence.

Cookies: 5, Tony very bad influence.

Current weight: 129lbs, the amount of weight I've put on the last few weeks is scary.

Gestation: 20 weeks

Moody, irritable, weepy - Check! Check! Check!

Frequent urination - Check!

Lower back pain - Check!

Swollen hands – Check! What's up with that? I was aware that my calves at some stage would like sausages, but my fingers?!

Doc has had me pee in a cup for the last two mornings, but the tests have come back clear of protein.

_-End of message-_

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….

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"We'll have to go to Seattle, it's the only way."

Bella wasn't too surprised when Edward gave her a look and responded with a resounding, "No," and "I'm not going to budge on this!"

It wasn't the first time the subject had been up for discussion, nor would it be the last. Friday was rapidly approaching and she was still on bed rest.

"It's the only way." A quick glance at her watch told her that the countdown was down to 26 hours.

"It's a three hour drive. You're not subjecting yourself to that."

"It's a car ride not a marathon race. I'll be sitting down. Heck, I can even lie down and take a nap in the in the back seat if that makes you feel better."

"It's not just the drive. Seriously...it's not a tea party you're wishing to attend. It's not going to be a nice and polite little chit chat session. You think you'll have full cooperation from all the involved parties? Think again."

"I know that. I also know that she'll feel less threatened if there's another female present."

"Call that Franklin character from the SPD, ask him to send a female officer to accompany Clearwater. Or wait for one of your FBI colleges to get here."

"We just didn't have enough time to bring someone new in."

"You're not going. We've already talked about this. Dad, you're her doctor, you tell her!"

Dr. Cullen put down the paper he was reading and raised his eyebrows as well as his hands in a 'don't-drag-me-into-this' gesture. "She's a grown woman, Edward. I can only advise her to avoid putting herself in potentially stressful situations. The rest is her decision."

"Gee, thanks for the support, dad," Edward huffed. "You don't think she should do this anymore than I do."

"If you're asking for my personal opinion, then the answer is yes, I agree with you. It sounds like the next couple of days will be all kinds of nerve-wracking and I would prefer having Isabella in this house, where I can keep an eye on her."

"I honestly don't think there is any avoiding the nerve-wracking part, though," Bella objected. "I mean, even if I were to stay in bed the entire time, I'd still be biting my nails, pulling my hair and going stir crazy waiting for updates. How is that any less stressful?"

"You're right. It's a different kind of stress, but stress non the less. For the record, we will all be here biting our nails waiting for updates," Carlisle gave her a hint of a smile, before going back to the paper that was sitting on the table. "The difference is that if you choose to stay here you'll have access to on-site medical attention 24/7, if needed."

"For me that's a no-brainer," Edward decided. "We're not going. I've already told you, that I want Clearwater to handle everything from here on."

"Don't you have things you want to say to her?" Bella asked in genuine bewilderment. "Questions you want to ask in person? You might not get another chance like this again."

"Yeah, of course I do, but it's not THAT important, not anymore," he waved it off as if it literally meant nothing. "I know you don't see it now, but if you were to take a step back and really assess the situation… I'm content with not knowing every single detail and more than happy to leave it at that for the time being. "

Bella wanted to accuse him procrastinating. She wanted to tell him that he was a coward, but she couldn't say that to him. People do not repress memories for no reason. He was right to be a bit cautious.

He was also right in questioning her reasoning and priorities. There really wasn't any excuse she could use that would justify putting their unborn child's health at risk like this.

Funny how not that long ago Bella had been the one berating Edward for having fucked up priorities. Now the roles were reversed and Edward along with everyone else, was thinking that she was completely out of her mind for even considering going against her doctor's advice. Her vitals had were okay though, and Carlisle was only advising her against going, he wasn't flat out telling her not to go.

Strangely enough, it was Seth's words that finally made her come to her senses.

"Forget it, Swan!" he said with a dismissive click of the tongue. "You're too closely involved in all this. It's not about Cullen anymore. This woman is a potential witness in something much bigger than our little investigation."

"I know that. I'm sure the rest of what she's done will catch up with her in time, but…"

"No buts. I don't want internal affairs hounding my ass again because you keep blurring the line between your personal and professional life. You're letting Cullen me-…"

"Forget Edward! It's not really about him anymore. It's about the child she had in her care; the two year old she neglected and abandoned, period." She was getting worked up, now, so she took a deep breath and calmed herself down. It didn't really help. "I want to see this through, I need to see this trough. I can crack this. I can get her to talk. I'll hound her until she breaks."

"Right and when you're done with her she will have confessed every ill dead she's ever done," Seth snorted. "Time for a reality check here, Swan; the only way you'll be breaking or cracking anything is if you sat on it by accident."

"Hey! Just because my shoulder is a bit messed up doesn't mean I can't bring my A game to the table."

"I'm telling you this as a friend, alright. Chances are pretty good that she'll sing like a canary, but there is also a possibility that we could be looking at hours and hours of interrogations and negotiations. Quite frankly, I think you lack the mental strength to handle that sort of pressure right now."

"You think I'm weak just because I'm pregnant. If anything, I'm stronger and more determined than ever."

"Sure you are, mama Swan, but you're also emotional due to hormonal changes and therefore somewhat unstable and vulnerable."

"Vulnerable my ass! Me being pregnant doesn't change anything," she told him crossly. She realized as she said it, that it wasn't true, though. Things had changed a lot in just a few months. Her frequent need for bathroom breaks were going to be a bit of a problem, for example. Also she didn't really have any appropriate clothes to wear. Not that a big issue perhaps, but a good power suit was like an armor that made her unapproachable and gave her confidence to succeed in professional settings.

"Call me sexist and old-fashioned, but I think you should sit this one out. You think you can act all tough and put on a no-nonsense, badass talking front, but you won't be fooling anyone. You know why? It's kind of hard to take anything you say seriously when you're constantly rubbing your stomach and smiling like a lunatic all the time. You're not even aware you're doing it, are you?! "

"Shut up!" she growled, but then sighed, because he was right. She caught herself touching her stomach a lot lately. Something about keeping her hands there was oddly comforting.

"You know I'm right. You know you can't afford the get accused of compromising the integrity of any ongoing investigations right now."

"Fine, tell Edward he wins. I'll stay here, but I want a video link set up. You hear me! Wait! Make that a two-way video link."

"That's quite a tough demand," Seth chortled. "I'll see what I can do."

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….

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_- Happy now?—B_

_._

_- Overjoyed… I'm gonna go with a no on Chelleigh. Why? I really hate names with spelling altered for the heck of it. I want a normal name, but nothing too blah. –E_

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_- I like gender neutral names for girls for some reason... Jessie, Riley, Alex …but not too manly -B_

_._

_-We're not naming our kid after Jessie, the slut Stanley. No way in hell! - E_

_._

_-What about another T name? Yes, I know his name is Anthony, but Tony and Taylor has a nice ring to it. Don't you think?—B_

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….

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"So, how did it go yesterday?" Alice probed, as she ran the brush through Bella's hair newly washed hair.

"Charlie, Mark, Waylon , Steve, Shelly and Jessie are no longer in the running," Bella deadpanned, knowing fully well that that wasn't what she was fishing for. "I'm still waiting to hear back on Taylor."

Bella knew it was no coincidence that both Alice and Esme were assisting her with her morning toilette. Everyone in the house seemed to sense the tension and these two wasted no time swooping in, offering their services. They were perhaps more interested in finding out what was going on on a personal level than anything else. As always they were oh-so sneaky with all their seemingly pointless small-talk, distracting with idle chatter and then going for the kill. Bella found herself answering way more questions and sharing way more details than she had ever meant to. Seth was right, she was not on top of her game.

"It's good that you've started talking names dear, but you were alone for more than three hours, surely you must have found time to talk about other things as well?" Esme inquired, tucking the last edge of the sheet in around the mattress. "And I don't mean the drama that surrounds how Anthony came about, because God knows we've heard enough about that."

"Nope," Bella sighed. "Apart from names, all our private conversations lately seem to have been about topics like poop, pee and diarrhea or a mix of all of them."

"Edward need to start working on getting Tony potty trained because double diaper duty is NO picnic," Esme said, fluffing the pillows. "Have you decided what you're going to do about your living arrangements? You need to start preparing a nursery soon. "

"I was thinking of turning my quest room into the baby's room," Bella caught herself answering without

thinking it through fully. "I've decided to wait though. I feel funny about starting on it too early," she hurried to add, before Alice would get any ideas. "I'm a little superstitious, I guess."

"There is nothing wrong with waiting until the baby is actually born. Or you could start slow by only getting a few key items, like a crib and a changing table," Esme suggested, as she lifted blanket, indicating to Bella that the bed was ready for her. "Perhaps this is something you can ask Edward to help you with. It will make him feel useful and involved."

"What about Tony?" Alice asked, putting the finishing touches to the braid behind Bella's ear. "Are your apartment big enough for him too? You are planning on adopting him, aren't you? Once you're married, I mean."

"Alice! You can't say stuff like that," Bella groaned and looked at Esme for help, but the older woman looked a little taken aback.

"Did I miss something? Like a proposal, or… something?"

"No!" Bella groaned. "I know you you're confident in your abilities and your visions, Alice, but you're getting way ahead of yourself! Your brother is barely speaking with me at the moment."

"You know it's the right thing to do. Wise up and give the kids the same last name. You could be raising them as siblings, with equal rights and opportunities."

"Don't let Edward catch you talking like that!"

"What am I not supposed to catch?!"

Speak of the devil!

Bella turned to see Edward's tall presence looming in the doorway. Of course he would show up just when she least wanted to see him.

"We we're just discussing baby names," the lie slipped so effortlessly through her lips. After all, she was used to it. "Alice still insists it's a girl. I was telling her to tone it down a bit."

He scanned her face for a millisecond, then he huffed, "That's not what I heard. She was talking about wising up and doing the right thing."

"She was talking about marriage and adoption and giving the kids the same last name and raising them as siblings," she looked up into his eyes with a weak smile. "I told her she was getting way ahead of herself and not to let you catch her talking like that."

Several expressions crossed his face in rapid succession, before fixing on annoyance. "My name isn't even on his birth certificate yet. I only have temporary custody and you expect me to… to…."

" Let's get through this day first," Esme squeezed his shoulders. "Then we can talk about what your next step should be."

Just then Jasper popped his head in the door. "There you are! Everything has been set up. Clearwater will kick off the live feed in two hours."

"Thank you Jasper. I'll be out in a little bit."

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…..

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_(Yet another diary entry from Angela… This will be the last one I think)_

_._

Alrighty - here we go again... I thought I would get my writing cap on and give you an update.

My brother wasn't much amused to find himself an uncle. He didn't believe me at first, not until I showed him pictures of a disgruntled-looking baby boy, photographed like literally six seconds after being squeezed out of my lady parts.

I thought things would be okay between us if he just apologized (for leaving me to fend for myself), but nope, he blew his chances to get in my good grace again when the first thing he asked was if I was off my meds.

I'd like to send a big "fuck you" to my mom for having everyone, including my own brother, thinking I'm some psychotic maniac. Fuck you, mom, and thank you for the pills that have made my life such a rich experience. That's sarcasm, if you could see me I'd have a sneer or some such on my face.

James said I should have had an abortion. He also said he is glad he is a gay man, with no plans of ever letting his sperm fertilize anything, because the abnormally high amount of crazy in our family gene pool is all sorts of scary. He then flat out refused to give me any money unless I either: A). put the kid up for adoption or B.) get the baby daddy involved A.S.A.P.

I guess brother dearest doesn't trust me to handle a baby…. He was certainly right about one thing, I will never be the motherly type, but as for the rest… jeez doesn't he know me at all?!

He made it sound like I have no plan and direction, that I'm a slacker popping out kids that I cant take care of. He even had the nerve to insinuate that I didn't know who got me knocked up. Hello! I'm an uber-planner – of COURSE I know who the father is! Of course I have a plan; a brilliant plan, a plan that I've had in the works ever since I was sixteen and met my Eddie for the first time.

Okay, so I admit getting pregnant was never part of my plan. I'm not too fond of kids and James isn't kidding about our gene pool, so that sort of threw me for a loop. I didn't think it could happen. I was getting depo shots every three months and besides, although there was certainly both penetration and pleasure had, it didn't end with an actual ejaculation, so color me surprised when my boobs got sore and I started gaining weight like crazy for no apparent reason.

Fun conversation to have with your brother…. not…

I also didn't enjoy telling James the part about how I messed up and got caught with a stolen key card attached to a lanyard around my neck. I worked so hard and waited so long to get my guy and then I was forced to see it all fall to pieces because of something as trivial as a stolen key card. Instead of enjoying some well earned post coital bliss, I ended up getting escorted off the premises by an off duty police officer. Why the copper got involved I'll never know, but he had my mom come and bail me out. Prayer circles and cleansing ceremonies followed, curtsey of my new daddy. I was on lock down for a week and a half. Of course, by the time I was finally allowed my freedom back my Eddie had already left town.

I DO have a plan; a simple one…

James wants revenge, he wants to take back what he has lost. I'm not like that. I don't care about my reputation, or getting back at those who have mistreated me. I just want my Eddie. I let the love of my life slip through my fingers once. I'm not going to settle until I have him back, until I've made him mine forever.

Simple as simple can be.

I just need wee bit of cash to make it all happen. That's why I've made a deal with my stupid traitor of a brother.

He thinks I'm too psychotic, or neurotic, or whatever to be trusted with money, but he isn't going to risk me exposing what a sick, twisted individual he really is.

Yeah… see… I knew he didn't come seek me out just to check on me. He wants reassurance that I'll continue to keep my mouth shut about what happened that summer I came to NY to live with him.

I know there is something fishy going on there. I'm not stupid. I know he's a convicted criminal. I've been approached numerous times by Feds asking questions about him. I know he got away with far less prison time than they were hoping for and that he has continued on his path of less than legal activities. Activities I know nothing about… I might have witnessed some rather disturbing sexual situations involving big men and little boys, but I don't think that's what have the Feds or my brother in a tizzy.

They put me on the stand, had me testify against my own brother, but I never given them anything substantial to work with, mainly because this was during that period of time when I was drugged out of my mind and couldn't really put words to what exactly I knew and what I'd seen. Also, I've always figured it would come in handy someday to have some leverage on my brother.

What do you know… I guess that 'someday' came quicker then excepted.

So back to our deal… James doesn't trust me with money because he thinks I'm mentally unstable, or whatever, but he has agreed to make monthly deposits to my good ol' trusted friend, and current roommate, Maria. The money will cover stuff like rent, groceries, utilities and medical bills for me and the little guy. In return I won't breathe another word about my brother to anyone… ever again. It will be as if he truly is dead to me (Not a problem. I can live with that!).

Also, to make things a little more interesting, there is a hefty sum of money waiting for me, if I put the kid up for adoption and get myself checked into to a mental health facility (Ha! Like that's ever going to happen), or if I get back on a medication regimen again and convince baby daddy to give both me and the kiddo his last name (obviously this is the one I'm going for).

James is giving me a one year deadline. The joke is on him, though. He has yet to realize that my baby daddy is more of a treat to him than I ever was.

I'm not stupid. I've not mentioned Eddie by name. I've not shown James any recent photos of my baby, who looks more like his daddy for every day that passes. He's never going to make the connection on his own. I still got my leverage. Lets just say that the kid is my insurance in more way than one.

So, anyway, I guess with this new deadline and with my finances settled, or sort of, anyway, there is no excuse for dragging my feet… I'm off to New York to snatch up the love of my life. If I don't get to write in you again, diary, uh… if this goes bad… oh hell, who am I kidding, it will work out fabulous… How could it not? I've got his kid after all…

Love always,

Angela Cullen

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	56. Chapter 55 - confessions

AN: Here's a long one for you all. This should clear up a few things. If you still have questions or are confused about something after this, let me know! I can answer them in the next chapter.

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**Chapter 55- Confessions**

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They all settled in front of the desk where the computer was set up and waited… and waited... and waited.

The sound of a car door opening had the entire room snapping to attention.

The side of agent Clearwater's head appeared briefly in view on the screen, as he entered the car and sat down in the driver's seat. It wasn't the two-way video link Bella had hoped for, but at least the transmission speed, resolution and audio quality were top notch. If Clearwater was to develop gray hair from the stress of this whole ordeal, they would be able see it the very instant it happened. That's how sharp the resolution was. At the moment his hair was as black as it had always been though. Not to say he didn't seem a little, well, jittery, the way his head was bobbing up and down and back and fort.

Agent Clearwater's back slicked hair, only took up a small fraction of the screen though. The way the camera was angled the focus rested on empty passenger seat beside him. Hopefully, it wouldn't be empty much longer, which was what the waiting was all about.

One minute passed, then another one… Bella had seen Seth make their pre-agreed hand sign for 'ok' when he first entered the car, so she knew things were going according to plans, but the waiting was still unbearable.

Alice was fidgeting in her seat, unable to keep still. Carlisle was whispering quietly with Jasper and Edward was staring straight ahead with a strained expression on his face. The rest of the Cullens were probably right outside the room with their ears pressed against the door.

Another minute passed and then they finally heard Seth mutter a quiet "here we go," and turn the key in the ignition.

He set the car in motion and drove it straight across the street and up to the curb, where he stopped to pick up his passengers. Among them was of course Maria Nahuel but also police detective Emily Young, from the Seattle Police department.

Young was the compromise they had settled for. While she wasn't the FBI profiler Bella would have preferred to have on site, she had to give the woman credit for immersing herself in the case with a speed and an absorption that was almost frightening. Also it didn't hurt that she came with credentials in criminal psychology and a reputation of being intuitive, but also calm and highly detail driven. In this she rather differed from Clearwater, of whom otherwise she was the female counterpart.

They heard detective Young respond to Seth's greeting, but with her taking a seat in the back of the car, the most they could see of her was the left-arm sleeve of her uniform. What they could see clearly however, was a nervous looking, red haired woman slide into the passenger seat.

"She's colored her hair," Jasper pointed out, unnecessarily. The color was one no one could ever mistake for natural. "It's Maria Nahuel for sure, but she has altered her appearance."

"That would explain the much-too-big, black rimmed glasses," Bella agreed, reaching for her notepad, jotting down a few quick notes. "Notice how the scarf she's wearing is covering her tattoo perfectly."

The car was rolling again. Seth drove in silence for about five minutes, before he pulled into the parking lot of an old garage and killed the engine.

"I'm going to park here. Is this alright?" he asked, turning to the woman in the seat beside him.

"Yeah, this is much better," she nodded, her eyes darting out the window. "I'm sorry for being difficult. I just didn't feel comfortable doing this…" she made a vague hand gesture, "…outside the coffee shop where anyone could see us… I used to work there, you know..."

"Yes, we're aware of that. Now, Ms. Nahuel, this is as secluded as it gets, without us bringing you in for an official questioning. As I told you before, we'd like to have a little chat with you and ask a few questions. If that's alright with you, of course?"

She nodded again, almost absently this time. "I knew someone would come looking for me. The minute I heard what happened to her… to Angie, I knew someone would come looking for answers." As she spoke, she unzipped her jacket a little and pulled out a wallet-sized photograph. "It took longer than I though it would, but when you showed me this, I knew it was time." She looked at the picture briefly before handing it to Seth. "You want it back?"

"Nah, you keep it," Seth waved her off and jumped right into the questions. " So, tell us, how well did you know Angela Weber?"

"Pretty well," the woman answered, picking at the corner of the photograph with her fingernails. "Is it recent? The picture? He looks different… like bigger or something."

She sounded genuine, but Alice, apparently, wasn't totally convinced.

"That's because we feed him well and treat him right," she muttered to the redhead on the screen, only to be hushed instantly by both her father and her brother. The conversation in the car was far too important to be 'sidetracked' by anything Alice might have to say.

On the screen Seth nodded and made a humming sort of noise. "I believe it is recent, yes. I have more pictures I can show you, but first you need to tell me more about your friend Angela," he said, making it sound like a simple trade off. "You knew her pretty well, you say… Well enough to know her full name?"

"Larissa Angelica Grey, or Weber after her mother got remarried." The answer came without a blink.

"Would you say you were close friends?" detective Young followed up.

Maria Nahuel half turned towards the back seat and answered, "You know when you meet someone online and think you could have TOTALLY been besties with that person in RL if you had met in like high school or something.… You know, if you had met when you were younger and life was less complicated. Well, that was Angie."

"I wouldn't call my high school years uncomplicated," Young laughed, "…but sure, I know what you mean. Some people you just click with, or you feel you could click with, if the circumstances were right."

"Exactly! She was younger than me and she really wasn't the type to have close pals and confidants, but I think we could have been close, if we had met sooner and under different circumstances."

"So, you first started talking to her online?" Seth interjected, trying to move the conversation along.

"Yes, completely randomly, about music and lyrics and stuff. We were both big fans of Eddie Mason. It must have been at least six years ago now."

"How long before you met up in person?"

"You make it sound like we met on a dating site," she laughed. "That was obviously not the case. I don't remember how long, three months maybe and once we met up, we did become good friends, just not über close, or anything."

"But close enough to keep in touch?"

"Yeah, we didn't hang out in the same circles, but we e-mailed and texted and spoke on the phone occasionally."

"It's my understanding that she lived with you for a while, before she left for New York?"

"Well, that's correct, yes," she answered, hesitating for a moment. "It's no secret that she stayed on my couch for a while. Her family situation was a bit of a mess. They weren't supportive of her life choices. She went like, six month, or something, without a tangible income. I have a feeling she slept in many strange places during that time. I tried to help her when I could. That's what friends are for, right?"

"Were you aware of her mental health issues at that time?"

"Sort of, yeah."

"What do you mean, 'sort of'?"

"I knew her as a very anxious and restless individual. Sometimes she would be really intense and focused, and very present in the moment, but there were other times when she would just zone out and go on autopilot for lengthy chunks of time. It wasn't unusual not to hear from her for a few weeks when she was like that."

"Did you know what her actual diagnosis was?" Seth asked.

"Look agent…whatever your name is, if you want her medical history you should speak with her mother."

"It's special agent Clearwater, but please call me Seth." There was a rustle of movement as he pulled out his badge and placed it on the center console so that she could see it. "Now, let me clarify. We already know of Angela Weber's medical history. I was just wondering how much you knew about it when she lived with you."

"Oh, okay…" The redhead's eyes seemed to wander a bit. Uncertainty seemed to flicker over her face, as if she was trying to decide something. "They hinted at her being bipolar, at least that's what I think they were trying to tell me, "she said when she finally answered his question.

"They?"

"Her mom and the step dad. Angie, herself, made no secret of her battle with anxiety. She would even joke about the drugs she was on and all the therapy she's been through. Her mom, on the other hand, didn't take it lightly…. at all. The acted as if they thought she was incapable of having a normal life, as if she was still a small child that couldn't be left unsupervised for even one minute."

"And what did you think?"

"I think the more rules there are, the more tempting it becomes to break them. When I first met her, Angie was revolting like the late-blooming teenager she was, but so what? That's pretty normal, adolescent behavior. If you want to know what I think, I think she was doing perfectly fine most of the time. As she took her meds without mixing them with drugs or alcohol, she was fine."

Seth picked up his badge again, clipping it back on his belt. "Knowing what we know now, I think it's fair to say she wasn't fine, though."

"I didn't say she was fine ALL the time, I said most of the time. Obviously, there were things that would throw her off balance, but she always bounced back."

"Did you ever witness one of these… shall we call them 'episodes'… or times when she wasn't fine, first hand?"

"I guess I did, thought, honestly, it took me years to recognize her behavior for what it I could tell something was off, but like I said, we were close, but not über close. I didn't see her daily or even weekly and when I saw her, she would pull herself together and act all normal and shit."

"Mental health is a rather touchy subject," detective Young, commented from the back seat. "Most people would have shied away, yet you remained her friend for many years. That's commendable."

"I wasn't always a good friend to her. I was in college. I would get drunk and stoned and do crazy shit every other weekend. Our friendship became a lot less complicated, once I figured out it wasn't such a good idea to do that stuff around Angie," she shrugged, like it was nothing strange at all. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that her issues never really affected me much."

Seth responded with a disbelieving snort. "Never really affected you much? I find that hard to believe, considering the situation you're in and the conversation we're having."

Quick to defend herself, Maria gave a snort of her own and said, "You don't believe me? I let her into my apartment. I let her sleep on my couch. I helped her get a job at the coffee shop, my coffee shop, while I was still working there, mind you. Would I do any of that, if I thought she was fucked up in the head and a nutcase to be around?"

"One would think not," Seth agreed without sounding too convinced. "However, just minutes ago you more or less admitted you knew something wasn't quite right about her. Why didn't you contact her parents? Surely, you knew they were looking for her. She was out on control, no way you didn't see the signs… "

That did it. "I saw no such thing!" Maria interrupted in a very defensive manner. "I'm not going to sit here and have you bash me when I've done nothing wrong. I don't have to take this."

"She's right," detective Young was quick to step in and try and mediate. "I think we should leave this subject for now. It is a bit unfair to ask Ms. Nahuel to take responsibility for someone else's actions. Besides this is not what we came here to discuss."

"No, I think this is exactly what we came here to discuss," Seth disagreed, with an exaggerated tone of authority. "There are certain actions that Ms. Nahuel most definitely should be, and will be, held responsible for," he barked, only to contradict himself in the next breath, by adding "However, I do agree that it is a subject we can revisit later."

This generated some surprised and confused noises, most of which didn't come from inside the car, but from the room where the others were following the exchange through the video feed.

"Why isn't he putting more pressure on her?" Jasper wanted to know. "I'm no expert, but isn't it obvious that she's through her teeth?!"

"On the contrary, I think she's been surprisingly open with us," Bella disagreed, without looking up from the screen. "The next part will be more damning and not so easily dismissed. You'll see….," she added, leaning forward to give Edward's shoulder a gentle squeeze.

Edward was the only one that had been warned in advance about what was to come next. That didn't mean it would be any easier for him to hear it, though. She could tell he was already distressed, by the way his jaws were locked together, and his hands were clenched together making fists.

"Remember, this doesn't change how we feel about you, how I fell about you," she told him quietly, knowing that he was incredibly vulnerable at the moment.

In the car, Seth cleared his throat and everyone's attention was once more brought back to what was happening on the screen.

"Now, Maria… I hope its okay I call you that?" He didn't wait for her to respond. "We still need to discuss the boy and what you know about him, but first there is something I'd like to show you. There are some documents in the glove compartment… "

"Documents?" she sounded utterly disinterested, though there was a definite edge to her voice.

"Yes, there is a stack of folders in there. Get the top one out and tell me what you see."

"What if I decide I don't want to do this anymore? I don't have to talk to you if I don't want to," she spat, but not before opening the hatch to peer inside at the folders he had mentioned.

"Then I suppose I'll have to lock the doors and force you to listen while I read them to you."

"Read what to me? What is this?" she asked, grabbing the first folder and flipping the cover of it open. "Bank statements?" she guessed, as she skimmed over the contents.

"Not just any bank statements, they are your bank statements, Maria. In fact what you have in your hands are the records of all your bank account activities over the past six months."

"How did you get these?" The disinterest was gone now, replaced by an alarmed tone of voice.

Seth chose not to acknowledge her question. Instead he countered with, "How do you know Jamie T Wilson?"

Someone gasped, Alice most likely. Though it was rare for her to be caught by surprise, this had obviously done it.

Edward looked absolutely green. Only his reaction had little to do with surprise, nor was he physically ill, just ill at ease at the mere mention of that particular name.

"Who?" Maria deadpan, her tone revealed nothing, but her eyes scanned the document in her hand again with rapt attention.

"Jamie T Wilson, also known as James Turner. And don't say you don't know him, because looking at these bank statements, we both know that's not true."

"I… I only know him as Jay. He's Angela's brother, but I don't 'know him' know him. Not even remotely,"

"Then what's the money for?"

Maria sat up straighter, almost rigid. "I thought you were going to ask questions about Anthony," her voice was suddenly sharp. "I only agreed to do this for Tony."

"We're getting there, but first you need to tell me about these monthly transactions," Seth pressed on.

"I haven't done anything wrong," she insisted, her hand was inching towards the door handle. "The money was for Angela, to cover her share of the rent, groceries and utilities, that's all I'm going to say on the matter without a lawyer present. You haven't read me my rights, but I know I have the right to remain silent."

"You're, right," Seth held his hands up in a disarming manner. "You don't have to say anything. The car is unlocked; you can leave at any time you choose. However, you should know that if you were to leave now, the next time we see each other, it will be in a more official setting. And with official setting I mean, we'll be in a proper interrogation room, doing a proper interrogation, where everything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law…. If you get my drift…"

"Are you threatening me?" she asked. "Because I don't have to take this… I've done nothing wrong…"

"No, I'm just being honest. It's quite the situation you've gotten yourself into. How about we try something different here. To save us time, how about we tell you what we already know, what we're missing and where you can help us? Alright?!"

He got no verbal response to his suggestion. The woman really did look like she was seconds away from bolting.

"Agent Clearwater is right." Trying to defuse the situation, detective Young spoke up, "You don't have to say another word, but I think you should hear us out, before you decide how you want to proceed."

"Fine," Maria relented. "I'll listen to what you have to say. Only YOU, though, not him. I'll give you another thee minutes, then I'm out of here."

"I'll try and keep this short and to the point," Young agreed to the terms without hesitation and Seth didn't object either.

"So… these are the things we know so far, "she started, only to pause to make some rustling noises, as if looking for something. "I have some notes, give me a second… There! So, as I was saying.. We know Jamie T Wilson is notorious for producing pornographic materials for commercial use. We know he has a previous conviction for sexual assault. His sister testified against him, something brother dearest wasn't too happy about, as you can imagine. Harassment and death threats followed, hence the sudden name change. Larissa Grey became Angela Weber."

"Death threats?!" Maria interrupted. "All I ever heard about this, is that Angie's mother got remarried and that she wasn't allowed to have any contact with her brother, because her step dad thought he was bad news."

"Which he was, undoubtedly," Young agreed, before she continued. "We know Angela grew up in what most people would call a troubled childhood environment. Her biological father was, just like her brother, a convicted criminal, who was more absent than present in her life. Her mother was left struggling to raise her as a single parent."

"She didn't do a very good job."

"No, she didn't. Angela had special needs, needs that weren't being met, neither at school, nor at home. As a result the girl was in and out of mental health programs until she turned 18. Angela, eventually and not too surprisingly, cut all ties with her family. We know she relocated from Seattle to New York and in hindsight it appears that the sole reason for this move was for Angela to get herself reacquainted with a certain Edward Cullen."

"You skipped the part where she squeezed out a baby and then freeloaded on her good pal here for a long ass time," Seth cut in when Young paused to take a breath.

"Wait, I'm getting to that… But first, who was Edward Cullen to Angela? This is where you could help us, Maria. We believe he was her teenage love, but we don't understand where her obsession with him came from. Why did she go to such extremes to get his attention?"

"Why do birds fly? Why is the sky blue?" Maria laughed, trying but failing to cover it up as a cough. "Seriously? I only know she had the biggest crush on him. She stumbled upon him, heard his music and fell head over heels for the guy. However, this all happened when she was like sixteen or something, way before I knew her, so I'm afraid I can't be of much help."

"Right, but I think you know that she more than crushed on the guy, though. Clearly she was obsessed to the point of stalking and wishing harm and danger on her competition."

"I've heard the rumors, but I swear, I didn't know that's what she was up to."

"Yeah, yeah, you knew nothing, saw nothing, heard nothing… Let's continue," Seth interrupted impatiently.

"Maria, we know little Anthony was left in your care for lengthy periods of times," detective Young stated. "There are hospital ER records of you making urgent medical decisions on his behalf, and we know you've been picking up prescription medicine for him."

"Angie never liked doctors and hospitals, is that so strange?" she shrugged.

"We've spoken with your landlord; we know the child more or less lived permanently with you, even after your friend moved out."

Another shrug. "It was a temporary arrangement. She just needed time to get herself set up with a decent job and an apartment before she could take on the responsibility of having Tony with her full time again."

"And then she died and you realized two things… Firstly, that you'd lost your milk cow, your biggest source of income and secondly, that you were stuck with a sick, whiney child that no one knew anything about…. Am I right? " Seth asked, evidently pleased with her dumbstruck expression.

"I wont even dignify that with an answer."

"We know you're the one that carried the boy inside the St. Joseph's Catholic Church and left him there. We have multiple eyewitnesses that tie you to the location. Also, you left fingerprints inside the church. You were handed pamphlets that you made the mistake of leaving behind."

She shrugged. "I still maintain that I've done nothing wrong."

"Then why are you're planning on leaving town. You just picked up your final paycheck at the coffee shop. We know you've given your landlord your notice. Is it James? Is he blaming you for what happened to his sister? Does he want his money back?"

Again it was Seth that took on the devil's advocate role, seeking to engage her in an argumentative discussion. And this time the tactic was successful.

"What?! NO!" she replied snappishly, before she could help herself. "He'd never accuse me of that. Not when I had nothing to do with it."

"You sure? You see brother James is not the most patient and understanding man. He's currently wanted for numerous violent offenses, such as assault, battery and firearms violations. However, the FBI are looking for him mainly because of his alleged involvement in a particularly nasty, high profile murder case. You've probably read about it in the papers. The murder victim was the nephew of, a now-retired, Supreme Court judge."

"Wait! Do you, like, think I know where he is, or something?" At this point Maria looked like she was about to throw up, pass out, or both.

Detective Young shook her head, "No, but you don't need us to tell you how serious this is, now do you?"

"Last known sighting of James was in New Mexico about a month ago," Seth continued. "We know this because we're on his trail, breathing down his neck. We have been tracking him through the many aliases and credit cards he has been using. Now, imagine our surprise when your bank account showed up in our investigation."

Maria looked like she was about to say something, but Seth wouldn't let her. "This man is dangerous, but I think you already know this. I think that's why you're acting all skittish right now. I think that's why you're afraid to be seen talking to us. More importantly, I think that's why you're planning on relocating elsewhere."

The car was silent for a few minutes before they saw, rather than heard, Maria whisper something.

"What was that?"

"I said, all I ever did was promise too look after them," she repeated, her voice louder this time. "I don't know anything about the rest."

"Them? Angela and Anthony, you mean?"

She nodded. "That's what the money was for. I don't think they had seen each other or spoken for years, then one day Jay showed up out of the blue, wanting to make up for lost time. He offered to help her and Angie didn't seem to have any problem accepting his help and his money. I was just the middle hand, I swear that was my only involvement in all this."

"When was this? Also, did you meet him? Did you speak with him directly?"

"I told you, I don't know the guy. He made contact with Angie, she mentioned it to me and asked if she could give him my bank account number so that he could 'deposit' some money directly into my account. I don't know exactly when this was. I don't remember the specifics. It must have been after Tony turned one, but before she left for New York. You have the records; they should tell you what month it was. The first transaction happened within a week from the day he first contacted her."

Detective Young cleared her throat, "Forgive me for asking, but how did you feel about having this extra money coming your way? I've seen the numbers, it adds up to a quite generous sum. Did you feel you had earned it? And how do you feel now? Do you feel you did a good job taking care of them?"

There was a shift in atmosphere as silence pulsed through the car,

"It wasn't my bloody fault…. what happened to her," Maria finally replied. "She was an adult, and short of having her committed, there was nothing I could have done to stop her from going after the life and the man she wanted and felt she was entitled to have."

"Interesting euphemism for stalking the shit out of someone," Seth commented wryly. "What about Tony? You feel you did what you could for him?" he asked, reaching for the stack of folders again, this time pulled out the one that held THE letter. "Recognize this? It was left behind in the church with Anthony. I believe you wrote this, didn't you?"

"Don't try and pin that on me," Maria shook her head and stubbornly raised her chin, declaring, "I only acted on Angie's instructions, making sure Eddie was contacted, that's all."

"She's more defensive now," Bella noted in a low voice, her eyes flickering to Edward for the briefest of moments. "You can see it in her posture. This bothers her more than accepting that money."

"Good! It should bother her," Edward grumbled. "It's a child we're talking about, not a goldfish, or a hamster that you can keep for a while and then get rid of later when you realize how much work comes with them."

"Shhh, you two, " Alice hushed them and rightfully so, because in the car Seth was talking again.

"So you admit you're the one that took care of Anthony in Angela's absence, that you're the one that brought him to that church and named Edward Cullen as his father."

"I…. Yes, I brought him there, because that's what Angie wanted me to do."

"What about the birth certificate?"

"What about it?"

"It states that you're the boy's mother, but we've got a DNA tests that says otherwise. Care to explain?"

Maria was shaking her head again. "I never signed no birth certificate."

"Of course you didn't," Seth replied dryly. "Just so we're clear about this, Maria. You're telling us that Angela Weber was Anthony's biological mother."

On the screen Maria answered, "Yes," but it was drowned out when Edward made a loud, unhappy noise, and clutched his ears as though that admission was physically hurting him. It wasn't like he hadn't known about this beforehand. The DNA result had arrived 20 something hours ago. However knowing something in your mind was one thing, hearing it said out loud was another altogether.

Worried glances were exchanged, but Edward shrugged them off angrily, muttering that he was fine. Keeping a formidable scowl across his face, he sank lower in his chair and went back to staring unblinkingandsilently at the screen again, as if his outburst never happened.

The conversation in the car had not moved much. The woman was still trying, but more or less failing to explain her reasoning.

"…was afraid what would happen to him if there was ever a situation where she couldn't take care of the boy herself. She didn't want him to end up in foster care, or worse, with her mother. Look, she trusted me. She basically made me Tony's godmother. She instructed me, that in the case of an emergency, I was to either take care of him myself, or make sure the father was contacted. So that's what I did, I took care of Anthony the best I could. Once I learned Angie was dead and wouldn't come back for him, I contacted Eddie, just like she asked me to."

"Technically, you waited several months, before you did anything, though. Not to mention, you decided on a very unorthodox way to go about things."

"It wasn't like she left me with a phone number to call," Maria huffed. She had a pretty pissed off look on her face and the tone in her voice was getting increasingly agitated. "It was a little bit more complicated than that."

"How did you find out about her passing?" detective Young asked.

Maria's shoulders sank. "I knew something had happened to her when I didn't hear from her for three whole weeks. I waited another ten days and then I contacted a few people asking if they'd heard from her. Three days later I got my suspicions confirmed. I mean, I never suspected she would off herself, but…. yeah, I just knew something bad had happened to her…"

"Who did you contact?" Seth inquired.

"That's not important. I contacted someone, who contacted Maria's family. Let's just leave it at that."

"They didn't know about Anthony, did they?" It was more a statement, than a question.

"No, I don't think anyone knew she went through a pregnancy." She must have realized how strange that sounded because she hurried to explain, "Anyone from her 'old' life, I mean. Angie was afraid she wouldn't be allowed to keep her baby. She was paranoid that her mother would turn everyone against her. She was paranoid, period. I guess, she had to stop taking a lot of her meds because of her pregnancy."

"You said no one knew about her pregnancy, but you obviously knew, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but only because she showed up on my doorstep one night when she was about six or seven months along. She was in a pretty rough state so I took pity on her and let her in. I gave her food, and some clean clothes. She took a shower and slept on my couch. She only stayed that one night. She was gone again the next morning."

"She was aware she was pregnant, though, right?" detective Young inquired. "Did you ask her about it? Sometimes when a woman isn't mentally equipped to handle the situations, she'll go into denial …."

"No, it wasn't like that. I asked, but she didn't want to talk about it. There was no denying she was knocked up, though. The evidence was right there," Maria motioned her hand in front of her stomach. " She carried quite high, and all out front."

"What happened next? Why didn't you tell anyone that you had seen her? You must have known her family had reported her missing at that point?"

"Look, she stayed away of her own free will. She was an adult and it was her own wish to have no contact with her family. Frankly, she was better off away from her mother."

"Right, but you really thought your friend fit to take care of another human being? Having a child is a huge commitment; emotionally, mentally and financially…"

"I know that she wasn't exactly grade A mother material, but I really did feel that she deserved a chance to prove that she could do it."

"And you still felt that way even after you learned that she had put your name was on Anthony's birth certificate?"

"By the time I found out about that little detail, it was too late do anything about it. You know, without risking her loosing Anthony. I couldn't do that to her."

"How did she do it?" Seth interrupted.

"Do what?"

"She didn't just forge your signature on the certificate. She gave birth in a hospital, the Swedish Medical Center, where she was admitted at under your name. That's either fraud or identity theft, depending on how involved you were in the whole thing."

"I had no involvement in that what so ever. I didn't know about it until I received a very unexpected letter from my insurance company with some info regarding my recent hospital stay."

"Did you contact your insurance company?"

"No, I threw the letter in the trash. I figured they had me confused with someone else. I've never stayed overnight in a hospital. But then there was another letter, this time with a mention of a newborn boy by the name of Jamison Anthony Eduarte Nahuel. I knew then… The name alone had me suspicious. I made some inquires and a few days later Angie turned up on my door step."

"What do you mean, you made some inquires?"

"On the Eddie Mason message board."

"The internet message board where you first got talking," Seth guessed, though he sounded a bit confused. "I know Eddie Mason is the stage name Cullen uses, but why would you communicate through a message board? That seems a bit juvenile."

"I know… It makes us sound like two school girls, with nothing better to do than to swoon over some teen idol, but it was by far the fastest way to get a hold of Angie when she wouldn't answer phone calls or emails. No matter where she was, or what she was doing, she would always keep an eye out for news about Eddie."

"So… you got a hold of her and she showed up on your doorstep and then what? She fed you a sob story and you felt you had no other option than to take her in?"

"No, no sob story. She said she was in a good place, that she didn't need any help. I believed her. Truth be told, I just think she wanted to show off her baby boy and gush over him, like any new mom would."

"And make sure you didn't go to the police, or her parents, I would imagine. "

"Well, yeah, that too. She apologized and then returned my passport, which I hadn't even realized had gone missing."

"Your passport…" Seth spat out. If he was trying to not sound patronizing, he was failing miserably. "She had your passport, yet you say you have no clue how your name ended up on that birth certificate. "

"She obviously 'borrowed' my passport and I suspect she used my SSN number and my insurance account info too… But it's not like we looked like twins or even remotely related…"

"She stole your passport, your identity and you let her get away with it. You're beginning to sound more and more like an accomplice, you realize that right?"

"I was naive, alright. I admit that. I didn't grasp the extent of what she had done until way later. The baby looked healthy and Angie was in a good place. She seemed happy and content with life for once and I was happy for her."

"How do you know the baby was healthy? Because from what we've heard there were quite a few health concerns," Seth started, but was interrupted when detective Young cut in with a few less loaded questions on the same topic. "Did she say where they were staying, how they were getting by? Even perfectly healthy babies require a lot of necessities, like formula and diapers etc."

"She had her own place, in a basement somewhere. Before you ask, I don't know the exact address, because that's the way Angie wanted it. I just know her landlady was an elderly Vietnamese woman, who didn't mind keeping an ear out for the baby at night. Angie had found work, cleaning a shopping center during off hours when the building was empty. The way she explained it, she would either bring the baby along when she went to work, or she would let Mrs. Hoi know he was alone in the basement."

"Great!" Seth drummed his fingers against the steering wheel. "Sounds like a lovely arrangement. Explain to me how she ended up on your couch, because we know you ended up taking her in and setting her up with another job."

"Angie fell behind on rent. Even if the stay jobs she did paid good money, she simply couldn't work as many hours as she would have needed in order to cover her bills. Also, as the baby grew older he needed a proper babysitter and daycare is expensive, like really expensive."

"So, you took her in, got her a job and volunteered to look after her baby," Seth summarized. "Did I miss anything?… Ah, yeah, coincidentally, or not so coincidentally, this all happened right around the time her brother started making those monthly payments to you."

"Hey, that's not fair! The money wasn't for me, it was for Angie. Why are you asking the same questions over and over again? I agreed to this for Anthony's sake, but you've barely asked about him at all. You said I was free to leave whenever I wanted. I think I've had enough of this now… I want to leave."

"Then leave! " Seth said, pointing out the door. "Tell me one more thing though, why was Anthony malnourished when Cullen got him?"

This halted her. "What do you mean, malnourished?"

"Malnourished, as in not being fed properly. You didn't notice he was smaller than most kids his age?"

"I knew he was small, but… He was kind of a picky eater and also there were certain types of food he simply couldn't stomach, that made him sick."

"Yes, we've heard about that. What agent Clearwater is trying to ask, is if there anything in particular we should know in regards to his health?"

"No, the only concerns were the allergies. I'm obviously no expert on kids and neither was Angela. She did breastfeed him at first. I think she tried to get him to eat solids since he was about five months old or something, but he was extremely stubborn. Turns out it was because of his allergies. He had a few quite violent reactions to nuts and berries in particular, but I made sure to mention that in the… eh…. never mind…"

"You were going to say that you made sure to mention it in the letter, weren't you? Why won't you just admit you wrote that letter?"

"Because… I don't know…That was the one thing that felt like fraud to me. To write as letter that made it sound like I was his mother. There, I said it. Yes, I wrote that damn letter. Happy now?"

"Why did you sign it with Kebi? Because of your car? Because that's where the actual hookup, so to speak, took place?"

"Well, yeah. I have no idea what name she used when she spoke to Eddie that night, not her real one I'm sure, but I figured he'd remember the car. Guy's remember stuff like that, don't they."

"Were you present that night? Were you there, at the party, when they got together? Is that how you knew what info to put in the letter?"

"No, I wasn't there. I only heard about it afterwards."

"In addition to the letter, there were also a photograph and another written message, both of which were later found in the church. For someone who claims to know nothing about your friends stalker ways, you sure went trough quite a lot of trouble to copy her mannerism and cause a stir. Why?"

"I just wanted to make sure the boy ended up in the right hands. I needed to do something to make sure Eddie took the claims seriously."

"Yeah, right…"

"No, I'm serious. What would have happened if I had just walked into a police station with the child and told the truth? Sure, Edward Cullen would have been informed about the child's existence, but the same goes for Mrs. Weber."

"Why would that be an issue when the general rule is that whenever there are competing interests, a biological parent's rights trumps those of a grandparent?"

"She would have swooped in and asked for custody of that boy right away, no questions asked. Eddie was miles and miles away and needed days to even get here. What if he had taken one look at the boy and decided he didn't want him?"

"Alright… but the way you did it, with Cullen not knowing who this child was, or who the mother of this child was, hardly comes across as ideal either. He still could have taken one look at the child and decided he wanted nothing to do with him."

"But Mrs. Weber would have been none the wiser. I never said it was ideal. Nothing about this situation is ideal," she shook her head. "Not for me, anyway. I'm pretty sure Jay doesn't want me talking to anyone about Angela and Anthony and the money that went into my bank account. This little chat here today has confirmed a lot of fears I didn't even knew I had."

"I'm sure it has," Seth sounded almost like he was smirking. "I have to ask though, how can you be so sure Edward Cullen is the boy's father? No offence, but your friend doesn't sound like she was the most reliable person."

"What do you mean? Surely, he did ask for a DNA test, right? Are you telling me he isn't the father? Because the boy look a lot, and I mean A LOT, like him."

"He did ask for a DNA test and the boy is undeniably his son. You've taken quite the risk with all of this and I was just wondering what Angela could have told you to make you that certain."

"Oh, she had no reason to lie about this. I never asked who his father was, she volunteered the information. Also, she backed it up by showing me pictures of the two of them together. Intimate pictures. They were grainy and dark, but you could see enough to determined who and what they portrayed, if you get my drift.

"She had someone snapping photos of the two of them doing naughty things together?"

"No. There was no need for that. She was good with cameras, surely you know that right?! Angie was not a tech buff, but she knew how to hook up a webcam and have it auto record upon motion detection," Maria paused, turning to look straight into the camera before she continued. "My guess is that she used something similar to the one you've got right there." As she spoke she waved her hand in front of the very small, very discreet camera, that was clipped onto the sun visor above her head. "I'm not stupid you know!"

"Damn! " Seth cursed, but it was Jasper who said what they all were thinking. "Did we just get our asses busted, torn apart and shred to pieces, or what?!"

Interestingly enough, detective Young was first to recover, "Yes, that is a camera, but no one thinks you're stupid, Maria. We wouldn't be here asking for your help, if we thought you were."

"That's good, because I'm ready to make a deal," the other woman said forcefully.

"A deal?" Seth snapped back into action, "What kind of deal and what makes you think you're in any position to suggest a deal in the first place?"

"Set me up with a good layer and a one way ticket to some place safe, warm and far away from here and I'll tell you everything you want to know about Jay."

"Nice try," Seth shook his head. "You'll have to give me more than that."

"What if It old you, I didn't tell you the truth before? What if I tell you, I did meet him in person? Two days before Angie left for New York. I can tell you what he said and give you a good description of what he looked like."

"That was more than six months ago, he could have changed his appearance many times over."

"I can lead you to him. He's watching me. He has someone following me around all the time. He's always close by. I see the same black van everywhere I go. "

"He's paying someone to watch you." Seth didn't sound impressed. "He's probably miles and miles away."

"I've got Angela's journal."

"What journal?"

"The one I found when I went through her stuff after I had learned she was gone. I saw her write in it from time to time, but when I asked about it she said she was writing down stuff for Anthony. Her meds messed with her memory a lot, sometimes she would lose whole chunks of time. So it made sense that she would write down things she didn't want to forget. Only the things she wrote in that journal wasn't things like the baby's first tooth or word."

"She wrote about James?"

She nodded. "James and Eddie and how James introduced her to Eddie. And there is more…"

"More? More what?"

"More journals. I'm about the only living soul that knows where she hid them. The same space where she hid the pot and the pills and all the other good stuff she didn't want her mother to find out about. She had a lot of secrets, my dear friend Angie, a lot of secrets."

"I'm going to step of the car and make a phone call. Don't move!" Seth barked, not sounding too pleased with the situation at the moment.

"Wouldn't dream of it." The smirk on her face said it all; in her mind Maria Nahuel had just won a major victory.

.


	57. Chapt 56 – Everybody's business…

**Chapter 56 – Everybody's business….**

.

"No, of course not Chief. I understand," Bella declared with appropriate sincerity, though what she was saying couldn't be further from the truth. She did not understand the need to dissect and pin point every inaccurate detail in everything she had said and reported back on her findings in Seattle.

FBI Chief Inspector Jenks wanted to know every aspect of what had transpired from start to finish and the phone conversation seemed to drag on forever.

"You know the standards and principles I expect my agents to promote, uphold and maintain."

"I know the importance of accurate case notes and thorough documentation. You won't find anything to complain about there."

She had emailed him a written report that was more detailed than anything work related she had ever written before.

"I'm not out to get you, agent Swan. In fact, I agree with you to some extent. Assumptions and presumptions can be deceiving when evaluating the degree of relevance in a case like this. However this doesn't change the fact that you should have informed us about your suspicions sooner."

"I wanted to make sure I had gathered all the essential facts before moving forward. It wasn't until I received the result from that second DNA test, that I had any hard evidence to support my theories."

"You should have gone through the proper channels with this whole situation."

"Chief, I did inform you beforehand where I was going and why I wanted to go there and you sanctioned it," she reminded him.

"I did, but when you asked for a personal leave of absence, you led me to believe you were making your way back in NY."

"You never asked where I was or what my plans were," she pointed out. "If you had asked, I would have informed you that I was helping a friend get through a custody evaluation. Now, if I would have carried on with that task during work time, or if I would have used federal resources, it would have been felony. I was simply trying to do the right thing."

"What about agent Clearwater? You don't consider him a federal resource? You had him fly up to Seattle twice, to help you with whatever it was that you were working on at the time."

This was the part Bella had been dreading. She didn't want Seth to get in any trouble over this. Stay factual and to the point, she reminded herself. No point in getting caught up in half- lies and unnecessary complicated explanations.

"I was on a personal leave. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that means I shouldn't be dealing with any official FBI business. There was always a possible connection to the Jamie T Wilson case and when new witnesses and new information emerged someone had to do the interviewing and the following up on leads. Hence, the need for Clearwater's presence."

"You forget one thing agent Swan. That was not your call to make. You should have reported back to office and let the agent in charge of the Wilson case have a say in the matter."

"Yes, and that is what we did, as soon as we had solid proof of a connection. Look, my actions, right or wrong, brought you a new lead in an otherwise stale investigation." She hated the way her voice wavered, giving away her nerves. "Clearwater presented you Maria Nahuel on a silver plate. Isn't that enough? What else do you want from me?"

"How about some work ethics… How about some honesty? I can't praise or approve a person, action, or accomplishment that doesn't follow our rule of conduct."

"I never asked you t-….

"It has come to my knowledge that Edward Cullen is the father of your unborn child."

The question was abrupt, but not entirely out of the blue…She felt she should have known something like this was bound to surface. It was expected that Jenks would bring it up eventually, but this soon?

"Yes that's correct."

"That's one unfortunate detail that can't be overlooked, considering the warning you were issued after your run in with Internal Affairs."

There it was, everyone knew an unreliable agent could greatly diminish the overall performance of any team.

"You're suspending me?"

"Yes."

Bottom line, he wanted her off his hands. It made sense, what use did Jenks have for a pregnant agent, anyway?!

"How long?"

"Until further notice. I'll have to ask you to hand in your gun and your badge. I'll make absolutely certain that there is no permanent damage to your repartition."

"How long?" she repeated.

"Well, that depends a bit on the outcome of all of this. I'm thinking three months should be long enough, but we'll have to see how it goes."

Unemployable – yay!

Renee would just love this.

Something told her Edward wouldn't mind terrible either.

.

. -Oo

.

"How are you doing?"

"What?" Edward looked up and saw his father standing in front of him holding two glasses of something – whiskey by the look of it – in his hands. "I'm sorry. Did you say something? I…you know… just kinda…spaced out."

"I'm just checking up on you. We missed you at dinner."

"I'm fine," he said scoffing.

"Are you hungry? Your mother wanted me to tell you that there are sandwiches in the fridge for you. She's made your favorite; hot pastrami on seeded rye with spicy mustard."

"Aww, couldn't you've smuggled one up here for me?"

"I think she is hoping the promise of food will lure you out of hiding."

"Tell her I'm not in hiding. How can I be in hiding when everyone knows where I am?"

"Well, lets not argue semantics," Carlisle said and came around and sat on the edge of the desk in front of Edward. "Or your mother's logic. I don't think it matters whetheryou're seven or twenty-seven, if you miss a mealwithout a valid reason, you're either hiding, or sulking or both." He held one of the glasses toward Edward and grinned. "Also, I'll have you know, your mother specifically forbid me to bring you anything eatable."

"So you brought me the second best thing..." Edward raised an eyebrow, but accepted the glass and took a sip, enjoying the burn as it slid down his throat.

"Something like that. There should be enough calories in this whiskey tosustain us both until the breakfast tomorrow… or midnight at the very least…"

"Great, thanks dad." He raised the glass in a mocking toast. "Guess you're not planning on going in for work tonight? I thought you had the nightshift?"

"Nope. I mean, I was supposed to work a 24 hour shift, but I called in and had them clear my schedule for tomorrow. I took a personal day. After all this commotion, I really felt I could use some time off."

"You just got back from your vacation." He eyed Carlisle over the rim of his glass. "Then there was the snow...and then the roof accident… How many days away from the hospital can you take, before your staff starts planning a mutiny?"

"That's my headache, son. Don'tyou worry about that."

"I just hate to see everything crumble because of me and this whole mess I've created."

"This mess, as you call it, is hardly your fault. You shouldn't beat yourself up over something you had very little control over, especially seeing as you got something pretty awesome out of it."

"Tony, you mean?"

"Yes, Tony," he nodded. "Oh, this reminds me… Esme and I are planning on spending the day tomorrow with the ever-expanding horde of Cullen grandbabies."

Despite the foul mood that haunted him, Edward found himself smiling. "There are only two of them, that's hardly a horde."

"We were thinking we could take them to the frozen pond after lunch, unless you have other plans that is."

"No, you go ahead. I won't be good company for him right now anyway. "

"Great! Well, not great that you're in a bad place obviously, but great that we can borrow the kid. You'll have him back before night time, good as new, I promise."

Edward rolled his eyes and took another sip of the amber-colored liquid. "Don't touch my pastrami sandwiches and make sure you leave the whiskey where I can find it."

"Listen son," Carlislesaid while clapping a hand on Edward's shoulder. "I'm here if you need someone to talk to,but if you're not up for it, or if you feel it's too personal, that's okay too."

Edward nodded, but said nothing.

"I'll leave you alone, if that's what you want. I should warn you though; miss another meal and your mother will come and grab you by the ear and drag you to the table. And also, Jasper has done a heroic job keeping Alice out of your hair all afternoon, but we both know nothing can keep Alice from getting where she wants to be."

Edward caught himself snorting at that. There was probably a lot of truth to that. Jasper was good, but he was only human.

"You're laughing, but I'm serious," Carlisle said in a warning tone. "Esme and Alice both want a word with you and then there is Isabella…You really should talk to her before she has a complete breakdown. Have you stopped to consider what this is doing to her?"

"What do you mean? Is she feeling unwell or something?" He felt winded all of a sudden. Like someone had just punched him in the gut. He knew there was something he had forgotten in his stupor of self-pity and self-loathing. He should have checked on her, should have thought to make sure she was fine.

"I'm sorry. That didn't come out right," Carlisle took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Isabella is doing alright, all things considered. One would think she'd be tired from all the drama today, I know I certainly am, but nope, she's been hard at work; taking phone calls and typing away on her laptop all afternoon. As you know, her blood pressure is still a bit high at times, butall her other stats are good."

"Okay, so why did you bring her up then? You were obviously trying to tell me something?"

"I just meant that she too, is worried about you and will come all the way up here looking for you, if you don't show your face downstairs soon."

"Right… She's left me several text messages already." He finished his sentence with a sigh and looked down to the ground. "I thought it was because she wants to talk about this Maria character, which is a conversation I'd prefer to skip all together, but I guess it could be that she is a bit worried too."

"Of course she is worried about you and how you're dealing withall of this. We all are. We feel your pain; we know this has been abit much to take in at once."

"A bit much… You can say that again…" Edward groaned, rubbing his face with his hand. "Is it messed up that I don't want to know the nitty, gritty, gruesome details? That I don't want to rehash the past? I know when it happened. I know where it happened. I know who she was. That's plenty enough details for me. I realize Anthony might want to know more about his mother one day, but for now I just want to forget the whole thing ever happened."

"Forgetting is harder than you'd expect. Don't let this fester and become a larger issue than it need to be. That's not the answer. "

"I know. Everyone is telling me I need to get my shit together. That Anthony needs me. That Bella needs me. That I need to act now, or I'll lose my chance to have a solid relationship and a real family with her. But what if I can't get my shit together?"

"That's what talking and venting and processing are for Edward. If you keep something like this bottled upinside of you, it will eat at you until there's nothing left."

"Ok great, so I should find myself a shrink ASAP? Is that what you're saying?"

"I think therapy would do you good, yes, but that's up to you. I think you need to find a way to speak with Isabella about all of this. Communication is the key to any healthy relationship. If you can't talk to her directly then yes, I think you might benefit from speaking to a psychotherapist; someone that can help you deal with your emotions and adjust to the changes in your life."

"You have answers for everything, don't you?" Edward closed his eyes, suddenly feeling worn to the bone. "Do you know why I chose this room?"

"Chose this room for what? To hide in?"

"I'm not hiding," he said through gritted teeth. "Tell my why you think I chose this room?"

"Because that door over there is the only door in this entire house that your brother can't lift off its hinges."

Edward shook his head. "I didn't lock the door and besides it's your office. You have the key, you don't need Emmett to through that door. Try another guess."

"I don't know… I'm sure it wasn't the ambiance or the comfort that brought you here. Privacy, maybe?"

"No, not the privacy. It was the view. I'm here for the view."

"The view? It's pretty dark outside. All I see if I look out the window is the pile of bricks and debris where your mothers beautiful pool house once stood."

"Exactly, that pile of bricks and debris is the only thing that's keeping me together right now. It's a reminder how lucky I am to be alive and how close I came to losing it all."

He emptied his glass in one swift move.

"Speaking of losing it all…. How much time do I have?"

"What do you mean?"

"How much longer can you keep Bella in this house?"

"Oh," his father said as the understanding dawned on him. "She has already progressed from strict bed rest to modified bed rest in just a matter of few days. If no new complications occur, I'd say I might be able to convince her to rest and take it easy for another week, ten days tops. She has that appointment for the fetal echocardiogram on Thursday, but after that…"

"Yeah, I know." Edward looked down into his mug, swirling the whiskey around before taking another sip. "If she still wants to go home, I don't see how I can stop her from doing just that. Heck, I can't blame her. I want to go home too. Sleep in my own bed and eat food from my own fridge... watch cable on my own television."

"Even if you both leave to go back home, it's not like you live on opposite sides of the planet. Don't let her walk out of your life again, son. You're angry. Your entitled to feel angry, but don't take it out on her. Don't lose sight of what's important. You do love her, don't you?"

"I've loved her since I was seventeen. No other woman has ever come close."

"And the baby she's carrying. You want to be there for that child?"

"Hell, yeah! I'd rather die, than watch that child run up to some other guy and call him daddy. I know that's what will happen if I let her go. She's too pretty, too young, not to be taken away by someone else. I'd marry her in a heartbeat, if I thought for a minute we could make it work in the long run. Heck forget about the long run, I'm tempted to marry her anyway and take whatever I can get, but I can't do that. I'm a daddy now and divorces are messy and hard on the kids."

"Who is divorcing who? And are you drunk Edward Cullen? It's not even seven o'clock yet. "

The sudden voice behind them had them both men jump in startled unison. They both turned and were surprised, but not very surprised, to see the scowling woman standing in the doorway.

.

. -Oo.

.

"Bella?"

She didn't quite look herself, Edward noted. Frizzy hair, loose baggy clothes, red-rimmed eyes, and chalky skin.

"Yes, who else would it be?" she replied with a nonchalance that seemed somehow suspicious.

She wouldn't meet his gaze. How long had she been there, and how much had she heard?

"What are you doing here?" he questioned, ignoring Carlisle's 'I-warned-you-this-would-happen' look.

"Oh, I just came her looking for you," she replied with a shrug, like it was the most obvious thing. "And before you say anything about the stairs. I took it slow and easy, alright. Stimulating the blood flow is never wrong. Isn't that what you told me just 20 minutes ago, Doc?"

Carlisle suppressed cough at her comment led Edward to believe there was an inside joke or a whole conversation he had missed out on. He felt his suspicion was confirmed when Carlisle got to his feet and pulled up a chair.

"It is good to stimulate the blood flow to the uterus, yes. Gentle walks around the house are okay, but I have to say no to massive power walks, or in your case power stair climbing. However, since you're already up here, I'm going to insist you take my spot. I should be heading back downstairs anyway."

"Please don't leave on my account."

"No, it's not you. I promised Esme I'd finish putting up the shelving in the laundry room. Edward, I suggest we finish this conversation later…. tomorrow perhaps? "

"Eh.. sure, I guess," Edward agreed, not really caring one way or the other.

His father gave him a contemplating look, "Yes, let's do that. Let's talk more tomorrow….I'll leave you alone now. You won't be bothered by me orany of us for the next hour or so. I'll see to that." Suddenly in a rush to leave, he was walking backwards and talking to me at the same time. "Oh, and don't worry about Tony, we'll put him to bed for you. No problem!"

Carlisle was acting… strange.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Bella frown and bury her face in her hand, muttering something he couldn't quite hear.

Okay, so it wasn't just his father. They were both acting bizarre.

"Edward? Did you hear me?"

"Yes, I heard you. Tomorrow is good," Edward snapped with an irritated gesture of his hand.

Carlisle let out a bark like laugh, "I'm leaving now. Have fun, but not too much fun! Remember to keep it gentle and slow-paced, okay! "

Then the door closed, leaving Edward and Bella together in a room that was suddenly too small and too silent.

.

…..

.

He waited for her to say something, which she didn't.

"Care to explain what that was that all about?" he finally asked, nodding his head towards the door.

"You don't want to know."

"Try me."

She shook her head and rose to her feet with a sigh, pointedly turning her back towards him. "You never answered my question."

"What question?" His eyes followed her as she began pacing. He was a little confused by her demeanor. She looked sad, defeated even; emotions she rarely showed even if she felt them.

She turned then and came to stand directly in front of him. "Are you drunk?"

"Oh, that question." A bitter laugh escaped his lips. Of course she would think that. "I swear, I've only had one glass, officer," he joked lamely.

She didn't find it funny.

"One glass of what? Whiskey?" she asked, picking up his glass, sniffing lightly at it.

"Yes, whiskey. What difference does it make? I feel like we've been over this before. I'm old enough to drink and I'm not hurting anyone but myself."

"It hurts me to watch you turn to such a destructive source of comfort." She met his gaze then, her eyes dark with some inner fury. "I honestly thought it would bring you closure, that I could bring you closure, but instead …."

"We are no better off than we were before. " He filled in for her and took a hold of her arm to keep her from pacing again.

She looked down at him and nodded. "Listen, I should have listened when you tried to tell me you were at the limit of what you could handle. I'm sorry I forced you to sit through and listen to all that..." She made a vague, helpless gesture with her hands. "All those nitty, gritty, gruesome details that you never wished to know….. I can't make it undone. I can't make them untrue. It's real and it's sad. It just is."

"No, what's sad is that my business is everyone's business all of a sudden,'" Edward gritted his teeth together to keep his flaring temper under control. He recognized certain words from his earlier conversation with his father. "How much did you hear?" he asked, not bothering to explain or disguise his displeasure.

He didn't have to, she knew what he was talking about. "It's not eavesdropping when the door is wide open," shereplied calmly, though shehad the good sense to look a bit sheepish.

"It was hardly wide open!"

"Well, not shut properly then. Is that better? Anyway, it sounded like a good talk, so I didn't want to interrupt."

Edward barely refrained himself from rolling his eyes. "It was a good talk, one that was not intended for your ears, but never mind… I should know there is no privacy in this house. "

"Aww, don't say that! You have this big, caring family that…."

"…are always all up in mine and each other's business all the time." he finished her sentence for her.

"But I think it's kind of awesome and sweet and…"

"Annoying! Don't forget annoying!"

"Well, that too …"

" Some things are just private, period."

"Sure, I agree with you, but…."

"But, what?"

"Nothing. Never mind."

"No, tell me." He gave her arm a gentle tug and watched her give in and collapse onto the armrest of Carlisle's monster of a desk chair. He realised he had not thought this through, because suddenly she was close, very, very close. A little too close for comfort, but that didn't stop him from putting an arm around her to steady her, which in turn led to an accidental embrace and… yep, a boob grab.

She looked surprised at first, but then she just kind of smirked. "Edward," she said leaning closer to his face "Copping a feel again? If you want to touch, all you have to do is ask."

"HA," he replied, moving his hand away. "Don't think you can distract me. I believe you were about to tell me something..."

"It wasn't anything important."

"Let me be the judge of that." He put two fingers under her chin and turned her face towards his. "I believe you were about to tell me something about my family, my nosy, meddling family."

"They mean well. Isn't it better to err on the side of caring too much than not caring enough."

"They meddle! Tell me, what sort of secret conspiracies have they been cooking up behind my back, this time?"

"The line between caring and meddling is very fine."

"Tell me!"

"Fine… Your father thought it important topoint out the difference between bed rest and pelvic rest over dinner this evening. I'm pretty sure he would have given you the same little talk if I hadn't showed up when I did. I saved you from a rather awkward conversation, let me tell you!"

"Ehh… okay, well he did say something about modified bed rest earlier," Edward groaned. He regretted now that he had not listened more closely. "But I thought that was a good thing, right?"

"It is a good thing," she assured him. "That was not the awkward part… Normally bed rest is all about lying down and keeping pressure off the cervix. In my case, since there is nothing visibly wrong with my cervix, it's more about resting to keep my blood pressure down. I'm still allowed to do things… like getting up for bathroom breaks and quick showers, and sitting at the table for meals and what not…. Small, gentle chores without heavy lifting, "

"And this is awkward because…?"

She half hid her face behind her hand, before she continued."Pelvic rest means no sex, no orgasms, no nothing. But that doesn't apply to me, because I'm on modified bed rest, not pelvic rest. Basically your father gave me his permission to jump your bones."

"No…He did not say that, did he?!"

She laughed at his probably hilarious expression and slid down from the armrest and into his lap, putting an arm around his neck.

"Well, not in so many words, but that's definitely what he meant. Obviously, I'm not supposed to do anything that will get me too worked up, but…. I think, he thinks it might help us to reconnect or something."

"So wait… That's why you guys were acting all weird before? All that talk about stimulating the blood flow to the uterus and keeping it gentle and slow-paced…"

She nodded.

"So, the reason why he was in such a rush to leave because he thinks that…. that…"

She nodded again.

"Like right now?"

Another nod.

"In here?"

"Sure, in this very chair. Or perhaps on the examining table." She was laughing in earnest now.

"And you're not opposed to this idea, I take it, or you wouldn't be here, in my lap, eyeing like I'm your favorite summer ice cream treat."

"What? No, but did you just give me an invitation to lick you?" She attempted a wink, but it turned out more like a lopsided blink. "God, I'm so bad at this. I didn't come here to try and seduce. Though I must say this chair has great potential… " She wiggled a little in his lap, teasing him with her body, but not in a serious or aggressive way.

"Swan, you realize sex won't solve anything, right?!

"Right, we need to talk, not fuck. However, it's a safer, healthier mean of escape than alcohol, so…." She ran a finger along his along his shoulder, causing him to shiver.

"You're offering yourself as a pity-fuck, is that it?"

"I wouldn't call it pity-fuck, but if it keeps you from hitting the bottle, then yes. I guess I am."

"No, this is a bad idea. This is a really bad idea," he bit his lip and started to scoot her off his lap, but then Bella opened her mouth and started rambling, in that breathless manner of hers.

"Sorry, it's the hormones talking… Don't worry, I know sex is not an option. Everything just feels so out of control right now. Not just because of how things are between you and me at the moment…. My boss just suspended be and my mom, well she all but disowned me and here3 I am I'm, freeloading off your family… If I don't find an outlet for this tension soon, I'll go insane." She paused to lick her lips and that did it.

Something snapped in his mind and he found himself grabbing the back of her head, pressing their mouths flush together.

Bella's mouth was hot and wet and tasted inexplicably wonderful and he felt a desperate need to just fucking get lost in it. Edward groaned, as hands clumsily slipped into his hair. It was like something wonderful exploded in his chest at the feeling of Bella's lips willingly moving against his own.

Of course she was reciprocating. After all, she was the one that wanted this. It was him, not her, who had major doubts about this. Doubts…and major ones at that…The inner reminder jolted him and his eyes snap open. The spell was broken.

"I'm sorry, but I can't do this." He straightened himself up, lifting her off his lap with great care. "Especially not here, and especially not like this."

The dejected look was back in her dark eyes and he stiffened, not knowing what more to say. "It isn't you. It's me. It's all me. It may be a cliche but it's still true."

Something between a grimace and an awkward frown crossed her face, before she hid it behind her hair. "Can we just forget this whole exchange ever happened?" she muttered, fanning herself with her hand.

"Not a problem," he agreed willingly. The room felt increasingly small and suffocating. He inched towards the door, smoothing out his t-shirt and running his hands through his hair. Then he remembered something. "Will you be okay? Do you need some time? You're not light-headed or anything, are you?"

She did look a little flushed.

"I'd offer to carry you, but my back…"

"No, I'm fine," she insisted without looking at him.

"Alright, let's go then. I'll need to go put Tony to bed. It will be utter chaos if I leave my mom and Al to try and tackle tat task on their own." He busied himself, filling the silence with meaningless words.

"Edward?" She stopped him in his tracks.

"What?"

"I really did have a legit reason, for coming here, for seeking you out. I wanted to give you heads up about something."

"Heads up? About what?"

"Within the next 48 hours or so, two agents to show up here and ask to speak with you."

"Clearwater and what's her name?"

"No, they'll send two agents from our N.Y. office. I doubt it will be anyone you've met before. Fresh eyes, fresh perspectives, you know."

"But why?"

"You'll need to answer some questions, about … well, everything we've found out about Anthony really. Though, I think mostly it's the Maria-Angela-James connection that they will be interested in. They are going to want to speak with Jasper too."

"Okay." He wasn't really sure how to respond. "Thanks, I guess."

He felt like crawling into hole and hiding, for real this time. New people meant he would have to go over everything all over again.

So much for thinking there might be an end in sight….

.

. -Oo


	58. Chapter 57 – Into the night

Chapter 57 – Into the night

.

"Shhhh, go back to sleep, Tony," Edward begged, and stretched out his arm to make yet another attempt to rearrange the covers over the uncooperative toddler.

"No, no, noo," the boy whined, twisting and pulling himself away from his father.

Edward lifted his head to look at the clock, which read 2:21 am, and groaned.

Anthony had been relatively easy to put to bed that night, courtesy of uncle Emmett, who had spent the evening exhausting the boys with some sort of slap-tag-chasinggame. Only problem was, the little guy had woken up again after only an hour and a half of sleep and was not a happy camper.

That was four hours ago.

Note to self: letting the kid cross the line between tired and overtirednever leads to anything less than disaster!

"Come on buddy!" Not taking no for an answer, Edward grabbed Tony by his waist and dragged him back to the center of the bed again. "Head on the pillow, feet under the covers."

He tried to lay him down horizontally, but the boy immediately wriggled upright again.

"I don' wan!" he declared, his little head swinging back and forth stubbornly.

"Aren't you tired Tony?"

"Noo," the boy gave out another shriek in protest. This was outright lie, though. He was tired; he was so tired that big fat tears were sliding down his puffy toddler cheeks.

"Tony don't," Edward winced. "C'mon, don't cry," he tried to soothe the boy to no avail, as the water works turned into full on drown mood for the third time in half as many hours.

This was what he dreaded the most. Useless… that's how he felt. Useless, and like a complete utter failure as a parent. He hated seeing the kid so miserable, but he wasn't particularly good at this comforting thing, he never had been. Also, the whiskey he had consumed earlier in the evening was doing him no favors. The buzz had already worn off leaving him with an ominously throbbing headache.

Seeing as they were both fully awake, Edward sat up and flicked the light on. Pulling the small child into his lap he gave him a gentle squeeze and stroked a hand through his hair. Tony flinched, but settled into the gentle touch after a minute.

Not for the first time, Edward wondered how all those other single parents coped with this everyday… and how he was going to cope with this every day from now on. He'd have to stay away from too much alcohol, that much was clear.

His thoughts wandered briefly to his mother, his biological mother, the woman who had given him life and then given him away. The few memories he had of her were vague, but he had a better understanding now. She had been too young and alone without a support system to fall back on. He finally got what Bella had meant about his family and how caring too much was better than not caring enough.

Just then something brushed against his arm, causing him to jolt back to the present. Edward immediately felt ashamed that he had zoned out like that. Anthony was, unfortunately, still wailing, no changes there. However, the little boy had draped himself across his father's abdomen and his arms had ceased flailing. His feet still kicked blindly, but his efforts were lackluster at best. That, if anything, showed how tired he really, truly was.

Slowly, very slowly, Edward began to rock the small body in his arms. The movement seemed to soothe the boy, so he kept it up, all the while wracking his groggy brain, trying to think suitable lullabies. His repertoire in this area was kind of limited and his frustration grew as the boy kept whining and shaking himself into a more woken state every five minutes. Somewhere around the 10th round of "Hush Little Baby" he gave up all together on the kiddie appropriate stuff and switched to humming Iron Maiden tunes under his breath instead.

After what felt like hours of rocking, singing and back rubbing, the little guy's thumb miraculously found its way into his mouth and his eyes stopped fluttering. His body slackened as he finally drifted off to sleep.

Edward, on the other hand, was no closer to sleep than he had been when he first got into bed. He wanted to sleep, God, he needed to sleep, but as per usual his mind was full of thoughts that wouldn't stop bothering him. It wasn't even for fear of nightmares, he just couldn't relax. Like. At. All…

His mind kept wandering back to THAT moment. So what if he had kissed her and she had kissed him back. His head knew they'd kissed hundred of times before, but his heart acted as if it was the first time. Ridiculous…. They weren't teenagers anymore, desperate for a quick grope.

.

….

.

Bella resisted the urge to cry in frustration as she kicked the covers off her overheated body. It was the middle of the night and she was twitchy and flushed and couldn't sleep.

She tried rolling onto her other side and force her eyes shut. That did not work.

The bed was comfortable, the covers and pillows were heavenly soft without being too plush; but it was no use, she still couldn't sleep.

Physiologicallyshe felt fine. No nausea, no bloating, no headache. Her shoulder wasn't too sore. In fact it hardly bothered her at as long as she avoided lifting and pulling motions.

She couldn't really blame her discomfort on the temperature in the room either. No, it was all the twisting and turning that had caused beads of perspiration to form on her face, neck and between her ginormous beach ball sized boobs.

Okay, they weren't beach ball sized, but they had almost tripled in volume and were more sensitive than they had ever been before. And now they were sticky with grime... loose fitting, button up flannel shirt she woreas a nightgown,clungto her torso like a suffocating, damp washcloth.

She unbuttoned a few buttons to let the girls breathe a little. When that wasn't enough, she went back and unfasten the rest of them save for one at the top. Every inch of her skin seemed to be crawling with a prickly heat that was driving her crazy. She found it impossible to lie still, and even harder to sleep. Maybe she was coming down with some strange disease. That would definitely top it all.

Don't kid yourself, you know exactly why you're this hot and bothered, she berated herself.

Thanks to Edward's peculiar mood and that one surprising kiss he had laid on her, she was now more frustrated than ever.

"Bloody hormones!" she muttered to herself, punching her pillow, and turning over, again, in frustration.

Closing her eyes she tried every meditation technique she knew of to get her mind to quiet enough for slumber. None of them worked. She was still frustrated. The darkness wasn't as dark as she would have liked and the silence…. Every single noise was too loud. Rain, intermixed with snow, pelted mercilessly against the windows, distracting 't rain supposed to be soothing?

She wasn't sure how much time had passed, but suddenlya series of muffled thumps came from the vicinity of the door.

For a moment, she felt her body tense up, adrenaline rushing into her veins. The logical part of her brain knew better, though. If someone was at her door, it was most likely Edward, seeing as lurking in the shadows at night was apparently his 'thing' as of late. Before she could get up, the door handle moved andthe door opened to reveal a full head of unruly, but familiar hair.

Bella was quick to turn the bedside lamp on to confirm her suspicions.

Sure enough, the figure standing in the doorway was indeed Edward. He blinked, surprised by the sudden light. Bella got the impression he had not expected to find her awake.

"Sorry," Edward mumbled. "Didn't mean to disturb you. The lights were off, I thought…"

"You thought I was asleep," she finished for him. "Tell me, do you get some sick pleasure out of watching people sleep? You're such a creep, Edward." Bella snapped at hadnot meant for her words to be angry, nevertheless they came out that way.

"Harsh, Swan, harsh. If that's how you feel, then I'll leave you alone," he turned his back to her.

"Wait!"

She couldn't just let him slip away. It was as if her restless thoughts had conjured him up. It had to mean something.

"Wait for what? Another insult?" He retorted, clearly annoyed. "You're the one that said you wished I would turn to you rather than drink myself into oblivion. I was humoring you, but clearly it's not really worth the effort if all I get in return is you calling me a creep."

"I'm sorry for being such a bitch. You're right. That was… uncalled for." Scooting over, she patted the mattress beside herand beckoned himto join her. "I'm having a rough night, but yours are probably ten times worse."

After a moment of hesitation, Edward obliged and sank down on the bed. "It's not a contest, but if it was, then yes I'd be winning by a landslide. My night has been pretty shitty so far."

"You wanna talk about it?"

He shook his head 'no' and she felt him adjust his position on the bed, rolling onto his side, so that he was all up in her personal space, his breath hot on her skin. "Honestly, I didn't come here to talk." His gaze dropped to her braless, barely covered breasts.

"Why are you here, then?"she asked, snatching a breath, the air suddenly feeling much too thin.

He frowned. "Do I have to spell it out for you? I'm here because I don't have the strength to stay away from you anymore."

"What does that mean?"

"It means you win. I don't have the strength to stay away any longer."

"Edward?" shebreathed, not daring to say anything else, in case she was reading this all wrong.

"Isn't this what you wanted?" He brushed a wayward strand of hair from her face and lifted her chin with a finger.

Bellafelt herself shudder from the intensity of his she had felt flushed before, it was nothing compared to now. "What I want is for us to find a way to get along without fighting and bickering about everything."

"We are not fighting right now, are we?"

Before she had a chance to reply, his lips crashed into hers, hard and almost aggressive. She forgot everything she had wanted to say and just responded to the kiss. Her hands found their way to his shoulders, fisting the fabric of his t-shirt. In response, he drew her closer, almost crushing her to his broad, warm masculine chest.

A tremble rolled through her as she felt the palm of his hands run down to cup her ass and pull her tight against the unmistakable hardness if his arousal.

"You feel that, Swan? Now, ask me again why I'm here," he grunted.

"Why are you here?" She breathed the question up against the square line of his jaw.

"I'm here because the desires of the flesh is stronger than the mind and the will," he told her hoarsely, sliding his hands up her ribcage, brushing his thumbs against the sides of her breasts. " I want to fuck you. I want to watch you come while I'm inside you. I want to fuck youslowly, deeply until you quiver and shake and scream my name." He spread his large warm hands over the expanse of her wee rounded little belly and then gently worked his way back up to her enlarged breasts again. "I want to fuck you, now, today, tomorrow, next week, next year. I want to keep fucking you while your body fill out with my child."

Biting her lip, Bella gripped his biceps to keep from embarrassing herself by jumping him. When she found her composure again, she whispered "What's stopping you?" and slipped one of her legs around his and tugging him closer, grinding her hips against his.

"For one thing, Swan," he groaned, and then went ahead and full on palmed her breasts through the fabric of the shirt she wore, before he continued. "We both still have an awful lot of clothes on."

"Is that your biggest issue? Because that can be rectified." Without further ado, she reached down and tugged his T-shirt free from the waistband of his sweats and then slid her hands under it, flattening her palms against the firm muscles of his stomach. " I can have you naked in ninety seconds flat…. Anything else?"

"I said 'for one thing' so obviously there is more…" He stopped her roaming hands and locked his eyes with hers. "It gotta be on my terms this time. If we do this, it would mean very little in terms of where we stand with each other."

She pulled away slightly, his gaze too intense for her. "I think we've covered this already. Sex won't solve anything."

"I may not have the strength to stay away, but that doesn't mean I will surrender my common sense and my free will again to someone who has already walked all over me with spiked shoes."

"Nothing is forgiven, nothing is forgotten, unless you want it to be, got ya! What else do you want from me, Edward? What else can I say?"

The pain in his eyes called out to her and she felt disheartened. But she also felt also felt more determined than ever to work towards a change.

"Come on… I promise to wear more sensible shoes from now on."

Edward let out a sound that was halfway between a sigh and a growl, but the way his mouth twitched just a little she could tell he was fighting a smirk..

"You're laughing?" she smacked his chest with a look of mock indignation on her face. "I'm being sincere and you're laughing."

"You have a way to make me laugh even when I'm really fucking sad, that's your one redeeming quality. That and your spectacular boobs."

"And my legs, don't forget my long, shapely legs," she slid a knee between his thighs in an effort to draw him closer to her again. "But I suppose you're right, these two puppies are my greatest assets as of lately." With a daring arch of her back, she gave him a generous eyeful of her cleavage, nearly busting the button that held the shirt together in the process.

She felt a surge of wicked satisfaction at his dazed expression. She had an inkling that the desires of the flesh were once again going to prevail over logical, rational reasoning.

"Fuck," he breathed as she ground her hips against him again, wanting more, seeking more. "All right, you've convinced me. Brace yourself, Swan, you're about to get that itch scratched good and proper."

"I'm gonna hold you to that, Cullen!" she sassed back at him and then to hide against his neck. It was all she could do to stop herself from jumping up and down, cheering 'HALLELUJAH!

.


	59. Chapter 58 - Naked

**Chapter 58 - Naked**

It wasn't her imagination, it was really happening.

Suddenly clothes were being shed and limbs were everywhere at once.

While Edward was quick to lose everything down to his boxers, Bella struggled with balance and coordination problems…. as well as body insecurities …

She was on her knees in front of him, about to bare it all, when that first gust of self consciousness hit her like a slap in the face.

Things that used to be firm, pert and high-set, were now heading towards soft and squidgy. Everything seemed to be getting... bigger… wider. Weight gain was expected, but the speed of which it was happening was frightening to witness.

She tried suggesting turning the light off or at least make it much dimmer or SOMETHING, but Edward wouldn't have any of that.

"Leave it on. I want to be able to see you. Need to see you. Please," he whispers in what is nearly a whine, "All of you."

She hadn't even realized she was still holding on to her shirt, until he started tugging it down her shoulders. It was not that she was particularly modest; rather that she did not enjoy feeling this vulnerable.

"Come on, Bella! You've nothing to be shy about. Do I have to remind you that you were practically stripping for me the other day."

Of course he would bring that up.

"Don't remind me. Not one of my finest moments," she groaned, but her embarrassment was quickly squashed as a wave of excruciating pain hit her. "Ow, hey, watch the shoulder, Edward! Watch the shoulder!"

"You're such a cry baby, Swan," he complained, but nonetheless soften his movements considerably as he resumed his attempts to peel the shirt off her body. He paused long enough to fondle a now exposed breast before he went to work on the damp piece fabric that was her panties. They went missing in a matter of minutes, as did his then they were naked. Both of them. Very, very .

That mere thought alone was enough to make breathing difficult. This was more than just baring skin, she felt like she was exposing her most intimate secrets to this man. Since she loved him, he had the power to hurt her in ways none else could, and that was terrifying.

Momentarily overwhelmed by this revelation, Bella barely noticed being lowered down on the bed. It wasn't until he moved to lie beside her that she came back to her senses, quite literally, as his nearness, his warmth, his scent had every fiber of her being standing straight on high alert.

Suddenly, she was immensely glad that the beside lamp was still flooding the room with its warm amber light. Her mind was going 'finally, finally, finally', because displayed before her was 'one goddamn fine specimen of male hawt-ness!'

Edwardbreathed a sound that might have been a laugh, "You realize you just said that out loud, right?"

She hadn't, but now that she did she felt an instant blush heat her face and upper body. Though, if she was honest with herself it was more out of excitement than embarrassment. God, her hormones were screaming at her to roll him over and shag his brains clenched her thighs together torelieve some of the throbbing ache at her core.

"I don't believe I have ever heard you praise my physical appearance quite like that before." Laughter rumbled in his chest as he pulled her against him. "Should I be afraid? You're kind of looking at me like I'm a piece of meat at a butcher's market."

"Get used to it!" she growled, silently grateful for his effort to keep the vibe light. "Your body gets my juices flowing, sue me..." She stroked his thigh, then cupped his bare, flawless ass firmly.

His breath hitched, his hips jerked and his erection twitched between them, but he still managed to murmur a suggestive reply, "Sue you? No. I'd rather do other things to you. But first…" he paused for a moment, as if to catch his breath and then he quite abruptly rolled over onto his back and took her with him until she was sprawled on top of his body.

Not an unpleasant position to be in. In fact, it felt amazing, so much so it didn't bother her all that much when his hands began exploring the curves and contours of her body. It wasn't like he could see much of anything lying flat on his back anyway. And yeah it felt good…

At some point he pushed her hair aside and nuzzled her neck, his lips seeking out the spot they both knew always drove her wild. At least that's what it seemed like he was doing until he spotted the discolored area that covered a better part of her shoulder and he just stopped in his tracks, dumbstruck. "Shit Swan, I knew there would be bruising, I just didn't realize bruises could be in quite so many colors." His fingers ghosted lightly over her tender skin as he spoke.

"I know. Not a sexy look, sorry," she sighed and propped herself up on her side to escape his prodding fingers and intense gaze.

"No, I'm the one that's sorry. It's just more extensive then I thought. …Bella, I…"

"What?"

"You're okay, right?" He suddenlydrew back and looked directly at her. "I'm not coming on too strong? Should we slow down?"

"I'm fine, Edward," she insisted her breath catching as he trailed his fingers down her side and acrossthe unfamiliar territory that was her swollen abdomen.

"I mean it," she added when he made no reply. "I actually feel better tonight than I have in a while."

"If that bruise hurts halfas bad as looks, you're not fine."

She shook her head. "It's alright, no pain no gain. It could have been so much worse than a few bumps and bruises. Good thing I have acquired some extra padding I reckon."

This whole conversation made her want to cover herself with her hands. Desperate to distract herself—and him— she dragged a finger down over his pectorals, letting her nail graze over the toughened skin of his nipple.

His reaction was instant and didn't disappoint. "Be-ella…" he groaned, throwing his head back. A handful of fingers kept torturing his pebbled nubs, while her other hand found its way down to stroke his swollen length.

"God, Bella, you're killing me," he gasped, as he bucked against her palm. He was warm and slick and so, so hard. The feeling of it, the anticipation that was building caused pleasure to ripple through her and more wetness to coat her inner thighs.

She threw a leg over his, so she could press herself closer to his side, seeking friction as her heart began to pound. Edward caught on and wrapped his hands under her ass. Shifting her up a little higher, he latched on to one of her breasts and used his mouth, tongue and teeth to drive her wild.

Her breath hitched and a low groan bubbled up from her throat. Eyes closed, her senses took over. Edward pressed a knee between her legs, leaning forward so she could rock against him. And rock against him she did. There was a whole dimension of nakedness between them, both physical and emotional.

No secrets. No lies. At last.

It was raw, it was fierce, and it was incredible, but then a sudden noise shocked her into opening her eyes, ruining the euphoria.

"What the hell was that?" Bella hissed, panting, forcing her head up to look around the room. The noise came and went and came again. It reminded her of the disturbing buzzing, screeching sound of a mobile being too close to a radio or a speaker or some other sound output device. And it seemed to be originating from somewhere beneath the clothes and blankets at the far end of the bed.

"Wha…what?" Edward grunted. His eyes popped open when he realized she had stopped moving. "What?" he repeated again, lids heavy and pupils dilated.

"The NOISE. Can't you hear it?"

"What the heck is that?" he panted his breath coming in labored gasps as he looked around, trying to get his bearings. The contours of his jaw and chin were taut and clenched as though he was in great pain. More screeching was heard and then random fits of what sounded like child-like-coughing.

"Fuck," Edward cursed and shifted her off his body in order to sit up. He felt around with his hands a bit until he finally found what he was looking for. "I think I… yep, here it is," he announced, holding up something shiny and blue. "I forgot I even brought it with me."

"Is that…?"

In his hand he held the receiver that came with the flashy state-of-the-art baby monitor Esme had gifted him for Christmas.

"Is that Tony? Is he awake?"

"I don't think so. He's not crying and if he's not crying he's not awake," Edwardsaid as he fiddled with the device in his hands. Whatever he did seemed to take care of the static disturbance. "Sometimes I hear him talk and uh, move and stuff and think he's woken up, but when I check on him, he's still asleep."

"You sure? Wouldn't want him wandering around or falling down the stairs." Bella began to reach for something to cover herself with. Everything was on the floor. She felt like simultaneously punching somebody and crawling into a hole crying. She settled for grabbing a pillow and wringing the 'neck' of it. "I understand if you need to… I mean, this can wait til another time. I can wait."

"No," Edward put the baby monitor down on the bedside table, snatched the pillow from her hands and put it under his head, all in one smooth motion. "That's not what's going to happen here. I'm absolutely positive he's not awake and even if he was, he wouldn't get past the door. Carlisle helped me turn the door handle upside-down."

"Oh," she blinked slowly. "You mean you locked the door?"

When he saw that she didn't grasp what he meant, he scooted closer and explained, "No, I didn't lock it. We reinstalled the door handle so that it points upwards. This means the little monkey can hang on the door handle all he wants, but it won't get him anywhere, anymore."

"That's... that's genius, actually." She drew in choppy breathsas his hands wrapped on her hips, pulling her closer to him again. "You just scored a ridiculous amount of grown up points, butI have to say this is too weird a conversation to be having naked."

"Is that your way of saying the mood is ruined?" He pulled on her hair making her head lift up. "Because if it is, Swan, I'm going to need one hell of a cold shower." Hepressed against her, letting her feel him hard and leaking against her thigh. "You're so hot like this, you've no idea. Your body is banging!"

Bella let out a hoarse laugh. "You're only saying that because you're hoping to get laid."

"Is it working," he asked, his free hand traveled down her body, and came to a rest between her legs. "Or did I lose you, talking about my awesome baby proofing skills?"

"At the moment I'm more interested in your baby making skills…"she whimpered under his touch as his fingers trailed dangerously close to her core. "There is entirely too much talking and not enough fucking going on."

"Oh, really?!" he teased and she bit back another whimper as his thumb grazed wet folds.

"Yeah, really." She threw her head back and moaned loudly. How there was still a conversation happening at this point was a mystery.

"And here I thought foreplay was important to you." His fingers moved upwards to the sensitive spot of swollen bud and he teased the area with feather-light touches.

"Fuck foreplay. We can do foreplay some other time," she growledand raised her hips against his in a a blatant invitation.

"You're so pushy, Swan," he laughed, but didn't hesitate to rub against her heated flesh, coating himself with her wetness. Not that he needed to, everything was slick and ready and begging.

He shifted his weight to his elbows as he hovered over her, positioning himself at her entrance. They both shuddered at the intimate contact, but then heseemed to think of something and abruptly broke away muttering, "Roll on your side! It will be better position. The angle-…"

"No, like this," she pleaded, not recognizing her own voice when it was so harsh with raw need. "It will work. I'm not that … big yet. I want to see you. Need to see you, please?" she pleaded, looking right into his eyes.

He met her gaze and she let him see, for just a moment, every emotion he evoked; the naked longing, the desperate need, the regret and horrible anguish, and most of all, the all-consuming love she felt for him.

That seemedto set something off, because suddenly he was back to being the confident and assertive Edward again. "Tell me how bad you want it," he rasped and got on his knees, gripping the headboard for support.

She watched his arms flex and tremble as he fell forward until he was hovering over her only a few inches to spare. Never taking his eyes off of her, he angled his hips to press the tip of his length just barely inside her.

"Please," she moaned, sliding her calves up over his round ass, pulling him down with the heels of her feet.

"Tell me," he growled, going a little deeper, before pulling back again, making her dizzy with the need spiraling inside her.

"I want you, Edward," she whimpered, digging her nails into his back. "I need…"

"You need what?" he grunted and dropped his head so his lips brushed her ear as he spoke. "Let me hear you say it…"

"You. Inside me. Now," she ground out, every inch of her body arching upwards to the point where she thought she might break.

"You already have me, you insatiable woman." With that, he let his weight drop on top of Bella, pinning her with heaviness and heat as he sheathed himself entirely within her. "Is that what you were waiting for?"

"Oh...oooh..." Bella moaned loudly and dug her hands into his hair. She couldn't stay still, her back arching, her hips rising, taking him as deep as he could inside of her.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'," he grunted, his voice was barely recognizable it was so low.

They fit so good like this. He filled her so completely that it took her breath away. She laid there open and vulnerable waiting for him to move, he didn't.

"You're at my mercy now. Mine to play with," he panted and she nodded fervently.

"Say it. Say you're mine."

"I'm yours, heart, body and soul," she sobbed. "Oh god Edward, I'm yours."

"Say you'll never lie to me again."

"Never again," she echoed.

When he finally moved, his thrusts were painfully slow, but the friction that it generated was exquisite. He wasn't tender or loving, but he wasn't rough or forceful, either, just slow, oh-so-torturously slow. He kept his weight on his knees so as not to drive her into the mattress. His head was buried in the crook of her neck, and his whole body visibly shaking with the restrained effort to hold himself back. It was then she realized how very careful he was being.

This gave her hope that there was something still there worth fighting for.

Although cohesive thoughts were jumping ship, she felt herself growing desperate for him to enjoy this as much as she was. She wanted to taste every inch of his skin, kiss every spot I could reach.

Her hands were everywhere and nowhere, grabbing his hair, digging into his back, kneading the firm rounds of his buttocks….

That had him shuddering so violently his arms gave in causing his upper body to fall forward. As he caught himself on his elbows, they both cried out at the shocking pleasure of the change in angle. Edward's chest slapped against her breasts with an obscene and oddly arousing sound. A couple more thrusts and Bella was clenching and spasming around him, a sensation so pleasurable it approached pain.

Edward wasn't far behind. With his face against her neck, he let out an incomprehensible string of words combined with a guttural call of her name, as he spilled inside her.

Bella's inner walls pulsated almost violently as her orgasm seemed to last longer than usual, reaching multiple peaks, which had NEVER happened from penetration alone before.

Afterwards, they lay together in silence. They traded looks briefly, but neither knew what to say to the other, so nothing was said. For once they seemed to be at a complete lost for words.

Perhaps time stood still – though it never really does, or perhaps Bella dozed and lost herself for five, maybe ten minutes. She couldn't be sure how much time had elapsed. Next thing she knew, Edward was snoring in her ear.

Quietly, with as little movement as possible, she managed to get the light switched off and fetch the comforter off the floor without disturbing him.

It was much later, while drifting between dreamless sleep and conscious thought, that Bella felt a wet warmth glaze over the skin of her shoulder.

It felt like…. lips?

Barely daring to breathe, she waited, eyes closed. Was he awake, or was the peck on her shoulder an automatic response to something he was dreaming? His body shifted behind her and then she felt it again, a second kiss being planted very lightly at the same spot as the first.

When she felt him go in for a third kiss she reached over, finding Edwards's hand, and lacing their fingers together.

For a moment neither of them moved. Then Edward's fingers curled tightly

around Bella's, as he moved their hands to rest over the small swell of her stomach.


	60. Chapter 59 – Pillowtalk

**Chapter 59 –** **Pillowtalk.** **How long had they slept? An hour? A day?**

.

"Freak!"

Her voice startled Edward. He had thought she was sound asleep, her eyes were closed and her face relaxed, but clearly his assumption had been a foolish one.

"You're watching me while I'm sleeping… again…" Bella accused him, her eyes still shut.

"You're not sleeping," Edward rasped, his voice low and almost soundless. He was lying on his side, with his face propped up in one hand and yes, he had indeed been watching her intently.

"You know what I mean," she grumbled and tried to turn over, but must have found it uncomfortable or something because she sighed and fell back flat on her back again.

"Maybe I like watching you sleep," he said softly, craning his neck to check the time on the clock by the bedside table, only to find it blocked by his discarded boxer shorts. The room was still mostly dark and the rest of the house seemed quiet, indicating that the hour was an early one. How long had they slept? An hour? A day? He couldn't seem to muster enough energy to care. His body was so tired. Good tired, but tired just the same.

Meanwhile Bella was still creeped out apparently. "It's perverse. I should have you arrested," she grumbled.

"It's not that strange, or perverse, when you think about it. It's really the only time you're quiet and you know…easy to deal with," he smirked at her, knowing this would push her buttons even more. "I mean, it's no secret that a lot of the shit coming out your mouth lately has been infuriating me a great deal." He trailed a finger down her bare arm, goose bumps rising on her skin from the touch. "Also you're like buck naked right now. How am I not supposed gawk at that?"

Her eyes snapped open. "I wish you wouldn't do that," she whined, and immediately began tugging at the sheets and blankets, attempting to restore some sort of order of the tangled mess that the bed had become. "I lose all ability to think clearly when you're touching me… and the gawking makes me uncomfortable."

"Hey, don't cover yourself," Edward protested, grabbing onto his side of the blanket just to be difficult. "You've got nothing to feel uncomfortable about."

"I feel gross and I probably look like a wreck," Bella sat up and yanked the fabric with all of her might. Unfortunately this happened roughly at the same time as Edward decided to let go. The momentum caused her to topple backwards and she would have fallen off the bed if Edward had not launched himself after her and grabbed onto her arm.

Thankfully it was her good arm, but that didn't stop her from groaning in pain when her upper body made contact with the mattress again.

"Are you alright? Where does it hurt?" he asked, searching her facial expression for some sort of answer as to what was going on.

"I -...landed badly, and then… " she started, but winced again, cutting her explanation short and Edward feared for a second that it was something serious. His eyes must have revealed some fraction of the panic he felt because she was quick to reassure him that it was just the shoulder.

"Bad angle….and the added weight… I'm just a bit sore in general. I'll live, don't worry about it Edward."

"You sure?" He propped himself up on one elbow to get a better reading of her face. "I'm sorry for acting like such a brute. It was not my intention to make you uncomfortable, but you have no idea what seeing you like this does to me. I should have known better, I'm sorry."

"No, I get it. You were hoping for another round of whatever it was that came over us before. I know I practically jumped you then, so I don't fault you for being confused now. The sex was great, like always, surprisingly intense and even a little overwhelming… Listen, I'm sorry if I'm tired, and rambling, and making no sense right now, but… I… I… " she trailed off, searching for the right words.

"You want more," he guessed with resignation. "You want it to mean more than just sex and I can't promise you anything at this poi-.."

She cut him short with a brusque, "It's not that," then she thought better of it and shook her head. "I mean, that's part of it, but I know there are trust issues that will take both time and effort to work through."

"So what is it, then? I thought I warned you not to expect everything to turn rosy overnight. "

"You did, but I'm pregnant and my mood swings have me wigging out over the silliest things. Like having you see me naked when I look like this." She was frowning and gesturing to herself, as if her appearance had turned repellent overnight.

"Bella," he tried to interrupt, but she wouldn't have that. Instead she pushed on telling him, "I know it's laughably vain and stupid. It's not like you haven't seen me naked various of times before, but not like this, not when I'm feeling flabby, and out of shape, and completely and utterly unsexy. I get that you're loving my boobs right now, heck I'm loving my boobs right now, but the rest.. eh, not so much."

"Is that's what's bothering you?" he asked not quite believing what he was hearing. "Come on, I'm a guy... Can't you tell how much I'm enjoying the bigger, fuller, you?"

"Sure, but I'm a girl and I'm terrified I'll never fit into my favorite black lace lingerie set again. It's frightening the way my hips have spread out like the base of a pyramid. I swear my bum has grown to accommodate not one baby, but a whole army of little midget aliens…"

"Your bum? You're worried about me seeing your bum?! I hate to break it to you Swan, but you've always been kind of bottom heavy. That's not a complaint… that's a compliment. I find your bum to be of adequate size in proportion to the rest of your body. It's one of your finer assets. "

"You think this is funny?" She reached out and twisted one of his nipples – hard.

"No, no… Fuck that hurt!" he squirmed miserably.

"I'm serious. This shit is frightening. I've just barely past the halfway mark and… " she stopped mid sentence and looked around the room seemingly alarmed.

"… and what? Geez, what is it now," Edward asked, following her gaze.

"Someone's at the door," she hissed at him.

"Is that all?" He felt a flicker of annoyance. "It's probably just someone heading for the kitchen."

"What time is it?"

"Early? I don't know, you tell me."

"Shhh… I'm telling you, someone's right outside the room," she insisted.

Sure enough seconds later there was a series of knocks on the door.

"I told you so," she snapped, groping blindly for the comforter at her feet. "Don't just lay there like some half wit. I'm not getting up. You have like three seconds to get dressed and handle whoever's at the door. They are your relatives, not mine."

"Dang, alright!" She had a point. He jumped off the bed and scrambled to find his clothes.

"Hang on a minute. I'll be right there," he called out as the door rattled again from the pounding it was receiving on the other side. Still shirtless, but now with his sweatpants back in place, Edward strode to the door and opened it a fraction, peering out.

Bella felt like she should have known this would happen. When was the universe ever on her side? Never. She felt naked, both literally and emotionally, despite being covered from head to toe underneath the comforter. Of course a Cullen would come bursting into the room at a time like this. They had impeccable timing and never missed a chance to embarrass the hell out of her.

Edward was talking quietly with whoever was on the other side of the door. Bella strained her ears to hear what was being said. The other voice was unmistakable female. If she had to guess she would say it was Esme. From the side of the conversation she could actually hear she gathered that Anthony was awake and looking for his daddy.

Edward seemed to argue for a moment, but then he gave a resigned sort of sigh and opened the door wider to allow the clearly unhappy looking little boy to enter.

Anthony toddled into the room, carrying his stuffed tiger by an ear. His face showed traces of tears, but his mouth was set in a determined scowl as he plopped down on his padded bottom on the floor.

Edward made some vague gesture with his hand like he expected Bella to do… well, something, while Edward himself stepped outside to finish his conversation.

"Hi Tony!" Bella offered the boy a smile and a small wave. "Bet you were looking for your dad, huh?"

"Edda?" the boy asked, eyeing her carefully.

"Yeah, you found him. He'll be back in a second."

"Go bye," he sighed and pulled his beloved tiger onto a tight embrace.

"Aww, sweetheart. I promise he'll be back," she answered him softly, feeling her chest tighten with a tender, choking emotion that made her want to cry. She didn't want to scare the boy though, so she tried to maintain her composure and keep the smile on her face. "Why don't you come over here and hang with me for a while?" she suggested, waving him closer.

Of course Anthony wasn't that easily convinced. "No," he pouted and scooted further away from her. She noticed him rubbing his eyes and yawning, so she figured his sulky mood had to do with him being tired. He crawled a few feet to his right where he evidently found himself a pair of balled up socks to play with.

She watched him in silence for a few moments, but then felt she had to intervene when the next article of clothing he picked up from the floor looked suspiciously lacy and well… bra-like.

"Hey buddy, what's that on your pajamas?" she asked, in an attempt to distract him. " Is that a plane? Can you show me? I want to see, it looks pretty cool."

"Is mine," Tony replied with the impeccable logic only a toddler can posses.

"Get outta here! It's yours? Now I'm jealous," Bella told him acting, appropriately impressed. "Come let me look at it. I want a t-shirt with an airplane on it. Did you get that from Santa?"

"Dunno? Ali?"

"Ah, that's right! Your auntie Alice gave that to you. She's nice isn't she?"

Anthony never got a chance to reply, because just then the door opened and Edward came back into the room. Not seeing the child on the floor he stumbled, and quite dramatically so, only narrowly escaping a full on face plant by bracing his hands against the wall.

"Geez, this morning just keeps getting better and better," Edward muttered, disentangling his legs and feet from Anthony's grasp. "I'm sorry about that kiddo. You should come with flashing warning sign above your head." He ruffled the boy's hair and stood back up. "Not a battery operated one though," he added after a moment of afterthought. "Apparently I was supposed to charge the batteries in the baby monitor for twelve hours before that thing to use. Guess I should have read the manual."

"You're kidding me," Bella half-laughed, half-groaned. "So in other words that hideous sound we heard last night was actually the low battery warning chime?"

"I guess so," Edward scratched the back of his neck, seemingly embarrassed at his little blunder. "So… it appears as though a certain someone has been up wreaking havoc since five o'clock this morning. It's a little after six now, so I imagine it must have been pretty bad if my mom gave up after only an hour."

He swiftly scooped the child off the floor and then resolutely went about plopping them both down on the vacant side of the bed in a controlled tree-falling motion.

The impact had them bouncing on the mattress like a bunch of kids on a bouncy castle. Anthony was not as amused by this as one would have guessed, perhaps because it made it difficult for him to hold on to all of his 'toys'. Of course it was the socks and not the bra that he chose to abandon in order to keep his balance.

"Wrecking havoc? Are you sure we're talking about the same kid?" Bella teased, because to minute the bounces died down and everything stilled again, Anthony stuck his thumb into his mouth and curl himself up into a tight ball, seemingly more interested in taking a nap than anything else.

"Sure, sure… now he's behaving, but mess with his sleep or his carb intake and he turns into a walking advert for contraceptives. It's quite scary, actually."

"You shouldn't say stuff like that," she scolded him. "It's not like he can help it."

"I was joking, obviously. Besides, it's not like he understands anything we're saying," Edward snorted, giving her a look that told her he thought she was being stupid.

"You sure about that? Kids pick up on more than you think. They have brains like sponges. Like, they absorb everything that's being said around them. It wouldn't surprise me if he understands more than he cancommunicate back with words. He's smart like that."

"Of course he's smart, he's my kid,"

"Just take him upstairs and sit with him for a while. He obviously needs more sleep."

"You think," he joked, eyes wide in mock-disbelief. "Look, I'm not going to move him now and risk having him throw another fit."

"Well, he can't stay here," she said, her voice rising a notch.

"Why not? He's all settled in."

"Well … because … because …" she stuttered, then thought better of it and made a grab for the piece of underwear that the kid was still clutching. "You don't find this awkward at all?" she asked and held it out in front of Edward's face. "I'm sort of, kind of N-A-K-E-D over here. The stuff we did in this very bed….There could still be wet spots or crusty dried spots, or whatever…"

"Swan, how old were you, when your parents got divorced?" He snatched the bra from her and carelessly flung it on the dresser on the far end of the room, where it caught onto one of the drawer handles.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"I bet that when you were Tony's age, you were crawling into your parent's bed, like ALL the time " he pointed out and couldn't help but smirk as he watched her reaction. "Every other morning, just like most kids tend to do. And you turned out reasonably alr-…."

"Eww! What the fuck, Edward! That's a mental image I so could have lived without!"

"Sorry, I was just trying to make a point. Look, since I'm such considerate and sensibleguy, I'll make sure the kid stays on top of the comforter at all times. How is that?"

"Please, don't go to any trouble on my account. Especially seeing as I'll be busybleaching my eyes out for the next hour or so…."

"No you won't," he laughed, pointing at her face. "You'll stay right where you are and you'll take a nap with us. We have at least another two hours, maybe three hours, before breakfast is served."

"Could you at least get me a t-shirt or something?"

"Nah, where's the fun in that!"

. .

**AN: I got so many great reviews for the last chapter and I hope that you enjoy, and are not disappointed by, the long awaited update! Enjoy!**


	61. Chapter 60 - New Years Resolution

**Chapter 60 - New Years Resolution**

.

Bella brought a hand up to cover her mouth before yet another yawn could escape.

But of course, nothing would get past Edward and his ever watchful eyes.

The morning light was beginning to trickle through the blinds, so everything in the room stood out more clearly to him now despite it still being somewhat early.

"You think you're stealthy, Swan, but, your yawns sound like little lion roars," he chided her ruthlessly. "Why aren't you sleeping? You really should sleep while you can."

"You'd love that wouldn't you," she scowled at him and then nestled back into her pillow, pulling her cocoon of blankets and comforter tighter around her.

A low, rumbling chuckle escaped him as he reached forward and brushed an errant strand of hair from her forehead. "For the umpteenth time, yes, I get that you think I'm a creep for watching you while you're sleeping, but honestly there is nothing perverse or morally questionable about it, at all."

"Sure, sure...If that's what you need to tell yourself... "

"I do the same thing with Tony. It's an urge, a calling, it's a male thing. "

"A male thing? "

"We are all products of evolution. Biologically speaking, you and Tony and the unborn one, you're all part of my little herd now. As a male my sole purpose — aside from reproducing of course — is to protect and provide for the herd."

"You're joking right?"

"No, I'm actually being serous. I could elaborate, but that would only lead to a much too long and frankly ill-advised conversation to be having with the kid in the room," he shot back, giving a pointed glance at Anthony, who was snoozing contentedly in the space between them on the bed. "I guess what I'm saying is that I've developed this strange need to reassure myself that you're still around and doing okay."

"Right… I get it, I think. Though, if you ask me, I'd say it sounds more like you're having a natural reaction to nearly being crushed under a falling roof."

"Yeah, there is that too… But honestly this thing started way before all that snow came down upon us. Since one of the very first nights in the cabin, really. You were talking about leaving and things were strained between us and... you know, complicated… Good things always tend to slip away the moment I start wanting them to stick around."

"Wait! That's how long this 'herd-watching-thing' has been going on? You really are a creep! And also are you saying you want me to stick around? That you've made up your mind about us? "

"You can stay as long as you need. I'm not going to run you out of the house or anything," he shrugged, giving her the vaguest answer that came to mind, pretending he didn't understand her question.

"That's not what I meant," she frowned at him. "You're confusing me. I kind of lost focus when you started comparing me to a breeding cow."

"I know what you meant." The mattress dipped as he shifted onto his side so he could face her fully before he reached over the sleeping boy and squeezed her hand. "We are going to be raising a child together and I am planning on being involved in one capacity or another, so you're pretty much stuck with me for the next eighteen years or so."

"Yeah, but how, exactly, are we going to do this?"

"That's the million dollar question, isn't it?" he said, more to himself than to her. "Look, you're still supposed to avoid anything stressful or upsetting. I suggest we rest now and talk later… like next-year-later."

"Next-year-later?" Her brows came together. " Seriously Edward, you're taking procrastinating to a whole new level."

"Have you forgotten what day it is today?" he chuckled and then waited for realization dawn on her face.

"Holy crap, it's new years already!" Bella groaned while she did a facepalm. "How the heck did that happen?"

"Dunno," he shrugged, secretly pleased that he had managed to steer the conversation towards a more light-hearted topic. "But you've been getting awfully forgetful as of lately."

"Have not," she stuck her tongue out at him. "I feel like someone stole a month or two."

A month or two?! Edward's eyebrows went up, because there was a lot he could have said in regards to that, but he chose to let it pass. Instead he kept his tone calm and his words teasing. "So you've had no time to polish your New Year's resolutions then, I take it?"

"I never do that."

"What, no New Year's resolutions? Well, this year you really should make some… and you're lucky, because I'm gonna help you get started."

"Lucky me," she muttered darkly.

"Hey," he squeezed her hand gently. "Humor me," he insisted, and then made his voice high-pitched for effect as he continued, "I, Isabella Marie Swan, will not lie or withhold the truth."

"Okay, one, I do not sound like that! And two, I'm not a dishonest person; I'm just picky about what information people need to know. It's an occupational habit."

"It's also kinda rude. So you really should try and work on that one," Edward pointed out, before he continued. "Now, here comes the next one; I, Isabella Marie Swan, will volunteer relevant information without being asked. Shouldn't be too hard. It sort of goes hand in hand with the first one."

"Relevancy is relative," Bella shot back, slightly amused but also pretty irritated at the same time. "What I consider relevant, others may not and vice versa."

"Alright, how about this one; I, Isabella Marie Swan, I will not fail to admit and correct my mistakes."

"I see where you're going with this. This is all part of your plan to make me grovel."

"It's all character building and good for the soul."

"You do realize that owning up to one's mistakes is only about the hardest thing a person can do, right?"

"Then there should be plenty of room for improvement."

"I can certainly try, but…."

"Fair enough. Trying is more than I thought I would get," Edward answered in a tone she couldn't quite read. "That one might be the one that's hardest to live up to, but I've saved the most important one for last."

"Great…there is more?!"

"Don't you want to hear what it is before you get all whiny on me?"

"I guess," she grumbled and he smirked at her.

"This is a good one… I, Isabella Marie Swan, will not withhold sex as a punishment or for any reasons that have selfish intent."

"Hey!" she huffed indignantly, her fist reaching out to punch his shoulder. "That has never happened… like ever. When did I withhold sex?!"

"I just thought I should throw that in there when I had the chance. Maybe even get it in writing, because supposedly new parents never get to have sex…. like ever. Not enough time, not enough energy. Not enough sleep…. "

"A slight exaggeration, I'm sure…. but thank you for pointing that out to me."

"I'm only repeating what I've been told. Why do you think there are so many one-child families out there?"

"Geez that's depressing. I'm changing the subject and that's that," she informed him, with a shake of her head. "In order to keep things fair and equal, I think that you too need to have New Years resolutions. But seeing that I'm much nicer than you are, I'm going to let you decide yours yourself without too much interference."

"How very generous of you," he shot back without missing a beat. "Let me think… Off the top of my head only one comes to mind, right now. I, Edward Cullen will stay far, far away from my father's twelve year old malt whiskey."

"Is that all?" she queried, incredulously. Though, truth be told, she was not that surprised. She had already heard Emmett mutter something to the same extent over breakfast the other day.

"Fine…. No whiskey for a year and I'll try and limit my beer consumption to a reasonable amount. Better?!"

"I was thinking more in the lines of; I, Edward Cullen, resolve to be the best father I can possibly be to my son."

"That one goes without saying though, doesn't it?" Edward looked down at Anthony, letting his hand drift through the sleeping child's hair. "I'm well aware that this little guy deserves to be at the top of my list for self-improvement in the New Year."

"I'm really quite happy to hear you say that. You were singing a completely different tune, not that long ago. Remember that talk about priorities and responsibility that we had? The same day he went missing and you thought he had gone into the lake?"

"How could I forget?" he chuckled darkly. "I don't think I've ever been closer to having a heart attack. Or, well…" he added after a moment's reflection, "the whole roof thing obviously wasn't good for my poor heart either, but that was on a whole different level."

Bella heaved a deep sigh and then shifted carefully on the bed so that she could curl up around the little boy protectively. "I'm glad that at least one good thing has come out of this whole ordeal. I'm glad that you're finally seeing what we've been saying all along; that Anthony deserves at least one parent that cares."

"Mmm…" Edward hummed in agreement. " He deserves more than that, he deserves a SANE and STABLE parent that cares. Actually, this reminds me. I do have one more resolution… sort of…"

"Sort of?"

"I'm actually considering giving therapy a serious try."

"For Tony you mean?"

" I have a referral for Tony to see a Dr Tuan in a few weeks, yes, but you know this already." He closed his eyes for a brief second before he spoke again. "I was actually talking about maybe, possibly setting up appointments for myself to see someone."

"Really? I thought you didn't believe in... Well, you know…You've made no secret of your skepticism on this matter before."

"Maybe it's time I reevaluate that skepticism. I wasn't ready for it as a teenager. As much as my parents were right for trying to get me to see a professional, someone objective to talk too, it wasn't a good fit at the time. I'm not a teenager anymore though, and I think….. I think I could benefit from it."

"Good for you," she said softly.

"That remains to be seen."

"No, I'm serious. Good for you."

Edward studied her for a moment, then looked down, softly clearing his throat. "I hope so. Actually," he added, shifting uncomfortably beside her. "I was hoping that you would tag along for a session or two... Not right away and not like full on couples therapy or anything heavy like that, but yeah… maybe we should talk everything through, like really talk with someone there to help us get to the root of our issues and try and resolve them without it turning into a shouting match."

"Okay."

"Oh-okay? Really?" he asked as if he hadn't heard her correctly and she nodded.

"On one condition. You'll come with me to see Charlie, next time I get a chance to visit him."

"I—of course," he breathed, frowning slightly. "Er…what brings this on? I mean, if you want me to go to Florida to see your old man, I'll go see your old man, but somehow I don't think a visit from me is something Chief Swan would be particularly ecstatic about. I know you've said that he remembers me, but I seriously doubt that he have any fond memories associated with me."

"Aww, just because he waved his gun around and shouted a lot in your presence doesn't mean he's bound to forever hate your guts," she teased him, pinching his cheek. "No wait, it sort of does, actually. You're doomed."

Edward allowed himself to smile.

"Yeah, I've heard he throws a mean punch for an old man, so I think I'll stay out of arms length."

"Your mom told you that?" she asked her expression turning more serious again. " Here's the thing; I want to tell Charlie that he's going to be a granddad and having you there might help him process the news," she explained. "With his Alzheimer's it's hard to predict how he'll react, but with you there he's less likely to mistake me for Renee or, you know, forget that I'm an adult… at least that's what I'm hoping for."

"You forget that the last time he saw me, I was deflowering his teenage daughter. I mean no offence in any sort of way, but you don't think that little detail might confuse him a great deal?" He drove his point home with a hand-gun-to-the-head gesture.

"Maybe I want to see you sweat just as much as you want to see me grovel," she laughed. "If it makes you feel better I can inform you that the chief is unarmed these days, so I don't think it will be THAT bad."

"Admit it, you're just bringing me along to distract him."

"Fine, guilty as charged, but seriously though, I really do think that your presence will make difference, or I wouldn't ask this of you."

"No worries Swan, I know," he said simply, nodding his head in agreement. "So anyway, while we are on the subject of the old chief, I heard mom set him up for some sort of Senior Companion Program that will provide weekly visits."

"Yeah, it's a veteran-to-veteran thing."

"Huh? Your dad is not a veteran thought, is he?"

"Nope, I don't know how your mom swung it, but swing it she did. He'll be getting visits from a mix of retired Marines and former law enforcement officers from across the region. I'm still a bit skeptical, but I hope it will work."

"It will. We'll make it work…. this thing with your dad, I mean. We'll make it work-…" he left the sentence unfinished, and looked up at the ceiling. With their truce so new and raw, it was simply a little too early for promises and commitments.

"If you really mean that, then thanks, I guess."

A semi-uncomfortable silence stretched.

"You're quiet, does this mean we're all talked out now? Anything else you feel we should discuss? Or can we… I don't know… maybe, sleep now? " Edward asked, rubbing his hands against his eyes.

"We could, I suppose, but there is this one little thing I feel I should tell you…"

Edward exaggerated a groan, but let her continue.

"…seeing as I've just promised not to withhold information and everything."

"I'm not going to like this am I?" He frowned. "Out with it already! I'm so tired, I'm talking with my eyes closed."

"It's nothing bad, uhm, I think… It's just that I feel obligated to tell you that Seth will be paying you a visit before he jets off to go home. He should be here soon, actually. I got the impression he has something important he wants to discuss with you in private."

"In private? What's this about? I thought we'd finally get some peace and quiet around here."

"I've been suspended, remember? So technically I shouldn't have any idea what this is all about…."

"But…?" he prompted.

"But they have confiscated the journals, the ones Maria Nahuel mentioned," Bella started. "And apparently they make for a quite interesting read-…" That's how far she got before she was cut off by a muffled cry coming from the bundle toddler limbs on the bed between them.

"And the Boy Wonder is up," Edward groaned, because Anthony wasn't just makingunhappy little noises, he was squirming and trying to get out from underneath his father's arm. "I knew we should have slept when we had the chance."

"Sorry," Bella grinned unapologetically and then laughed aloud when the boy pushed himself up on his hands and knees and darn near suck his diaper clad bum right in his Edward's face.

"Oh daddy, someone needs a bath and a fresh set of clothes."

"Someone needs to be introduced to the potty and big boy underwear," Edward responded, lifting the toddler byhis armpits and sliding off the bed.

"You go do that and I'll just stay right here and here and…. I don't know… sleep."

"Ha-ha funny," Edward retorted. "Come on little stinker, lets blow this joint."

.

* * *

AN: Happy New Year! I hope you've aIl had a wonderful holiday season.


	62. Chapter 61 - just one more thing

**Chapter 61 - Just one more thing…**

.

"149 through 99."

"Mmhmm," Bella sort of hummed in response, without taking her eyes off Alice, who was flitting about the room like a child unable to keep still.

"Still mildly high, but not severely so," Carlisle noted, as he removed the blood pressure cuff from her arm. "It takes time. Keep resting and things will keep improving. I promise."

"I suck at resting."

"She really does," Alice agreed, plopping herself down onto the foot of the bed, where she began rifling through what appeared to be a giant makeup case. She had yet to explain what she and her bag were doing there and why this all couldn't wait until after Carlisle was done with the PB reading.

"The more I rest, the more tired I feel. I must be doing it wrong," Bella frowned and then ducked when Alice came at her with some gooey concoction. "I realize I'm probably paler than a piece of printer paper, but I don't want a ton of makeup caked on my face."

"Nonsense," Alice said in her best you-will-let-me-cover-the-dark-circles-under-your-eyes-or-you-will-die voice. "A little pampering has never hurt anyone. It might even help you unwind and I have this mask that will deep clean your pores and give you a fresh, rosy glow. Sorted."

"You do look a bit pale," Carlisle observed with piqued concern evident in his voice. "We should have your iron levels checked again. Have you felt lightheaded or dizzy at all these past few days?"

"Not that I've noticed," she started answering, but had to stop to give Alice a warning glare. "Don't you dare put that nasty smelling stuff on my face. I'm trying to have a serious conversation here."

She armed herself with a handful of paper napkins from the dispenser on the bedside just in case and then turned back to Carlisle. "I'm sorry. You were saying…?"

"Are you keeping yourself hydrated? It's especially important if you're still having bouts of morning sickness."

"I'm trying. If I take more than a sip or two at a time though, it runs straight through me in a matter of minutes." She paused to think for a moment. "Wouldn't the number of bathroom trips decrease rather than increase, if I was in fact, dehydrated?"

"Yes, and you'd probably notice your urine taking on a much darker yellow shade of color."

"Erm…Well, that not the issue then. Not that I spend much time contemplating what my pee look like or how often I have to go, but I would definitely notice if something was off," she laughed. "There is probably nothing wrong with me. I just feel generally worn out and sleepy, that's all…"

"Hate to break it too you, but that's usually what happens if you're up all night," Alice butted in, wiggling her eyebrows. "The walls are thin and it didn't sound like you were playing board games, that's for sure."

"Oh, shut up!" Bella swung an elbow out, catching her friend squarely in the ribs. "I'll have you know, some people take scrabble very seriously and also stop making things up! You heard nothing, because there was nothing to hear."

"Edward hates scrabble and I'm not making things up. You were all kinds of loud…"

"Alice, that's quite enough," Carlisle chastised and shot her a look that silenced her immediately, but not without a snicker in Bella's direction.

Bella, in turn was, chastising herself for walking right into that one. She should have known nothing would get past Alice. She was just about ready to accept death by mortification, when Carlisle spoke up again.

"What about your shoulder and neck, Isabella?" he asked, gesturing to touch the upper part of her arm. "Any numbness or tingling sensations?"

"No, but that whole side still aches a bit. Nothing like it did before, but it's still a bit stiff."

"No headaches at all?"

"Well sometimes, but I think that's mostly because my eyes are getting tired a whole lot faster these days," she admitted, scooting further back so she could lean against the headboard. "I've read that that's a normal pregnancy thing, though. Right?"

"Yes, mild vision changes are normal. However, blurry or double vision, sensitivity to light and/or seeing spots or floaters are signs of –"

"Preeclampsia. I know," she nodded grimly. "It's nothing like that… I think. I mean I've noticed in the last week or two that I've been squinting more. Like I need stronger contacts or rest my eyes more frequently."

"It's a relatively common phenomenon. You're holding onto so much fluid in your body that the fluid in your eyes is actually causing the eyeballs to change shape."

"What? Her eyes are changing shape?!" Alice asked in genuine disbelief. "That doesn't sound normal to me? Is it treatable? Is it reversible? Does it hurt?"

"It's nothing to be overly concerned about," Carlisle stopped her before her rant could pick up steam. "These are slight changes and will only affect her vision marginally. Everything should be back to normal within six months to a year after the baby is born."

"I suppose I'll just have to adjust," Bella grumbled, not overly excited at the prospect, but not overly concerned either.

Beside her Alice was bouncing with sudden excitement. "I just had a great idea!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands. "Let's go online and find you some new glasses! I bet you'd look great in a pair of trendy, thick-rimmed, retro specs."

"Don't splurge on anything costly," Carlisle warned. "Her eyesight will, most probably, keep on changing for the reminder of the pregnancy."

"Oh shoot, I better cancel that Lasik eye surgery I had booked, then," Bella joked lamely and then tiredly stifled a yawn. "I think I'll stick to my contacts, but I appreciate your resourcefulness, Alice."

"You're no fun. I bet we could have gotten Eddie to foot the bill. I've yet to meet a guy that doesn't love the 'sexy-librarian-look'."

Bella hid her face in her hand and groaned, "It's your brother you're talking about."

"Alice…," Carlisle coughed, suppressing a laugh. "Not all couples are into role-plays or dressing-up games."

"Fine it was just a suggestion," she defended herself with ahint of mischief in her blue eyes.

Bella responded with an exaggerated sigh that was only partly in jest. "Again you're a woman of great resourcefulness, but I'm not sure I could pull of sexy anything at the moment, so can we please just drop this whole conversation."

"That's not what I heard," Alice tsked, with heavy emphasis on the word 'heard'.

"Oh, look, it's time for breakfast," Carlisle cut in, trying to change the subject again. "There's nothing like food to lift your spirits. I'm sorry you're feeling a bit blah at the moment, Isabella, but it's not uncommon to be experiencing some fatigue at this stage."

"Maybe the tiredness is just boredom disguised?" she nodded, grateful that at least someone was all business, steeringthe conversationaway from any potential awkwardness. "I'm not used to having this much free time on my hands."

"Actually, it could be that you are not getting enough quality sleep at night. Too many naps during the day, can easily affect your REM sleep and you wake up feeling more tired than you were when you went to bed."

"It's not like I nap all day long, though, doc," she objected, albeit halfheartedly. "Just once or twice and only because my eyes are bugging me or because I don't have anything better to do."

"You'll like what I'm about to suggest then," Carlisle said with a smile. "I was thinking we could change things up a bit today. The weather is supposed to be reasonable warm. I don't see why you shouldn't be able to handle a little walk. Some fresh air will only do you good."

"Really, I can go outside?" Bella caught herself squealing excitedly. Alice, of course, was squealing right with her.

"As long as you take someone with you I don't see why not. A short, slow-paced walk, 20 minutes tops. And watch out for ice patches!"

"My eyesight isn't THAT bad," she laughed. "I'll try and stay upright." Thanks Dr. C! For everything."

"You're welcome," Carlisle nodded, collecting his things and then making his way to the door. "And one more thing, Isabella," he paused with his hand on the handle. "Don't overdo it with the physical activity."

There was a definite hint of humor in his voice that made it clear EXACTLY what kinds of activities she'd been up to.

Ground, open, swallow, NOW!

.  
…

.

"Alright missy... Spill. Now," Alice demanded the minute the door shut closed behind Carlisle.

Bella raised a brow, "I don't know what you're talking about," she denied, busying herself by straightening the bed.

"Not very convincing, considering the giant hickey you're sporting on your neck," Alice pointed out, a smirk evident in her voice. "Edward thought you might appreciate some help to cover it up. You know, before we all sit down for breakfast." She held up a tub of concealer and grinned evilly.

"Oh," Bella made an involuntarily move to feel around her neck for sore spots and cursed not-so-under her breath when found one, just below her left ear lobe. "Edward sent you?"

"Uh–uh, that's exactly what he did. I didn't count on my nosy father beating me here though," she half whined, half groaned. "So much time wasted. You better hurry up and give me the deets."

"What details, Alice?" Bella attempted a deadpan, but when she moved to sit on the edge of the mattress, she felt her lips curve upwards on their own accord. "Okay, yes, there might have been some kissing going on," she admitted, tiling her head to the side to give Alice the access she needed to work her magic with the makeup.

"You don't say," Alice shot back, sniggering. "I know I'm being nosy-"

"You're always nosy," Bella interrupted bluntly.

"Hush… I know I'm being nosy, but I'm not a mean and spiteful person, you know. You're my friend and I only have your best interest at heart."

"I know and for the record, the prize for being the nosiest actually goes to your mother. Did you know Esme was here, knocking on this very door, at the crack of dawn?"

"What can I say, we're a nosy AND competitive bunch," Alice laughed, squeezing a blob of tinted, creamy liquid onto the makeup sponge in her hand.

"That you are, that you are." Bella chuckled dryly, then flinched when the sponge came in direct contact with the bruise on her neck. "I'm surprised I haven't heard from Emmett yet," she added after a moment ofsilent reflection . "But I'm sure there will be tons of crude jokes once he's fully awake and properly fed."

"Yeah, about that…" Alice was smirking again. "How do you think we all know Eddie spent the night with you in your room? "

Bella groaned, "I have no idea, but something tells me this will be all kinds of embarrassing… You mean to tell me it wasn't Esme who figured us out?"

Alice laughed, "Nope! It was Em. You see, he was heading downstairs to raid the refrigerator for one of his late-night/early-morning snack when he heard some rather suspicious moaning and groaning going on."

"I get it, say no more," Bella interrupted quickly, waving her hand for Alice to stop talking. "I blame it on pregnancy hormones… Oh and your brother. He's a noisy kisser… extremely noisy, considering that most of the kisses were just pecks… on the cheek in between Scrabble games and Uno rounds. Because that's all I'll ever admit to."

"Em said he felt like he was listening to gorillas mating on Animal Planet. I hate to hear what it sounds like when you're really going for it. "

"Trust me you don't want to hear that, Alice. He is your brother after all."

"You're right, I don't," she agreed, pretending to shudder. "It's enough that I had to deal with the hickeys and the beard burns, all of which are now almost completely impossible to detect by the way." Standing back, Alice cocked her head, examining her work. "You can thank me by naming your firstborn after me."

"I'll keep that in mind. So, are we done now?"

"I don't know, are we? You're not giving me anything about anything here. You're my friend and my brother is my brother…. Is everything alright between you guys now?"

"It's... we're getting there."

"Come on, please tell me you busy bunnies took at least a few minutes to actually to talk to each other last night."

"We did. It's still complicated. I don't want to get ahead of things, but I think we kinda sorta might be trying again, maybe."

"I knew it!" Alice looked at her with triumph in her eyes. "I called this months ago!"

"Only you didn't."

"Oh, I totally did and I want to hear you say it. One sentence, four words. It starts with 'you' and ends with 'were right Alice'. Come on, say it!"

"But that would be a lie."

"A lie? A lie? How do you reckon that?"

"You've been going on and on about how there will be a proposal, engagement rings and multiple babies and I hate to break it to you, " Bella said, pointing to her left hand. "There is still no ring on this finger."

"I was right about the babies though, wasn't I? It's two for one…. Carry one for nine months and get one for free. It's a pretty sweet deal. Give it a year or two and no one will remember or care that Tony isn't yours by blood. "

"I really do love the little darling to bits, but again….I don't want to get ahead of myself and be too optimistic."

"I predicted a proposal before the year is over and it isn't over yet. My brother is a bit slow on the uptake, but he'll get there. I'm sure of it. He still has until midnight."

"He's not proposing Alice. I know this for a fact, because this is actually one of the few things that we have touched on, at least briefly."

"I wouldn't be so sure if I were you. He's asked Rose to accompany him into town later today. Did you know that?"

"No, but that doesn't really mean anything."

"I bet you they're going ring-shopping."

"In Forks? Admittedly, it's been years since I last lived here, but I'm pretty sure there are not that many jewelers around this area."

"There is one in Port Angeles though, a friend of the family actually."

"You're deluded, Alice. Why would he bring Rose ring-shopping? They barely tolerate each other. That makes no sense."

"I know, but I think my dear brother is under the impression that you and Rose have similar taste in jewelry." She shook her head that was the most ridiculous thing she'd ever heard.

"Well, I suppose he might have heard me admire that rose pendant Em gave Rosie for Christmas." Bella could not help but tease her friend a little. "It was an unusual thoughtful and romantic gift in all its simplicity."

Alice responded by pretending to gag. "You'll have to act like you love the ring no matter what it looks like. Promise me that!"

"You're setting yourself up for disappointment. There will be no proposal tonight."

"Guess we'll know who is right soon enough," Alice smiled and tapped her nose lightly with her forefinger.

"I still say deluded, D-E-L-U-D-E-D."

.

….

.

Makeup in place and hair sorted, Bella woke her phone from sleep mode only to find that she had one missed call and a handful of new emails waiting for her. She knew without checking who they were from, so she unceremoniously sneaked off into the bathroom while Alice had her back turned.

She wasn't sure how long she had been in there when there was a knock and Edward's impatient voice came through the door. "Did you fall in or something, Swan? Breakfast is on the table."

"I'm on the phone, okay. I'll be out in a sec," she called back.

It was a lie. Technically was no longer on the phone, but it was still in her hand. The last couple of minutes had been spent googling the shit out of this quite unsettling piece of information that Clearwater had dropped in her lap.

No, scratch that. Dropped was the wrong word too use. Dropped made it sound like it was unintended and unplanned, when in fact Seth, the sob, had purposefully withheld one very crucial tidbit of information for several hours, days even, just to reveal it at the 'right time'. She knew without being told that the order had come from higher ups, but she still felt played, and didn't like it one single bit.

The only comfort was the knowledge that they had stumbled upon the catalyst that was likely to propel the once-stale investigation forward again.

A full two minutes passed before Edward shouted, "Your second is up. Don't make me take this door off at the hinges."

"I'd love to see you try that," she shouted back, but then unlocked and opened the door with resignation.

"I could totally do it!" he insisted, puffing his chest and flexing his 'muscles'. "My back would never be the same, but a door is no challenge if the motivation is there." He said chuckling lightly. When she didn't respond immediately though, his smile disappeared.

"Hey, is everything alright? You look… troubled..."

"Everything is fine. Just spoke with Clearwater." She waved her phone vaguely, and then threw it on the bed. "There are a few things that need to be sorted, but he'll be here shortly so..."

"Anything I should know about?" His voice held a clear warning, one she would be stupid not to acknowledge.

"Yes, but we'll deal with it later," she answered, pasting on what she hoped was a cheerful expression. "Now tell me, where's the fire? Why this sudden need to go knocking down doors?"

"No fire," Edward said pushing himself off the wall, moving to stand in front of her. "But breakfast is on the table. You have met my brother, haven't you? The food will be gone if we don't hurry up."

He held his hand out and Bella took it.

"Oh, you mean that big, muscular guy, that look nothing like you? Dimples, short curly hair, booming voice? As a matter of fact, I believe I HAVE met your brother." She laughed, and it was a genuine laugh that took no effort. "Now there's a guy that can knock down doors and break through barricades. He makes you look small and brittle in comparison."

"Geez thanks, Swan!" he dropped her hand with a huff. "And here I was going to compliment you on how radiant you look this morning."

"You said I looked 'troubled'," she reminded him.

"In a reflective, deep-in-thought, but sexy kind of way."

"Alright then… I take it all back, well… most of it," she teased, jumping back as two little figures came running towards them.

"No running guys!" Edward called after the boys.

"KAY!" They shouted back, but kept running none the less.

"Uhm, Edward… " She couldn't contain a chuckle at the slightly comical sight. "I could be wrong, but I think that is your mother's purse they got there… You should probably…."

"I'm on it. I'm so on it, " he leaped forward and took up the chase.

…

.

"You'd still want me even if I lost a limb or two, right Swan?"

The sound of Edward's voice startled her. She turned around to look at him as he slid into the chair next to her,balancing a bowl of cereal in one hand anda plate of crisply grilled bacon and scrambled eggs in the other.

"Depends on which limb we're talking about," Emmett teased, making no secret of listening in on the conversation from across the table.

"This is no laughing matter. He nearly took my finger off!" Edward clarified unnecessarily, because the bright red set of tiny teeth marks were still very much visible on his hand.

"You act like I've never been bitten before," Emmett laughed, elbowing Jasper conspiratorially in the side.

"By a toddler… Never been bitten by a toddler before."

"You'll live. He barely even broke the skin."

"Besides aren't you right handed, anyway?"

Bella tuned out the banter, choosing instead to let her eyes wander toAnthony, who was sitting in his high chair, squeezed in between his grandfather and his untie Alice.

He had mashed banana all over his face, but was in a much more subdued mood now that he had blown off some steam. The little guy had cried and thrown a fit for a good ten minutes. All because Edward had caught him and his little cousin, stealing chocolate out of their grandma's purse.

Utter chaos followed; chaos that had served as a diversion of sorts. Bella was secretly relived to have made it halfway through breakfast without having to face too many 'awkward' inquiriesor remarks. There was something different about the way Edward was looking at her this morning, she decided. His green eyes showing an intensity that hadn't been there before. And if she noticed, everyone else probably noticed too.

Just then, someone kicked her ankle under the table, and Bella scowled, but there was no guessing the culprit as all the Cullens around her were busy either talking to one another or leaning over plates of food to eat. She was still looking around the room, when she realized someone had said something to her.

"Sorry, what?"

"I was just asking if I could get you a refill," Esme walked up behind her and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze.

She looked down at her plate, and realized with a slight blush, that she had been holding her fork in mid-air.

"I'm good, thank you. I was just…"

"Spacing out again," Alice chimed in, from across the table.

"I'm was not!" she argued back automatically, even though she had been caught doing exactly that. "I was just sitting here wondering where my phone disappeared to."

"Bedroom," Edward supplied around a gulp of steaming coffee.

"Oh, that's right!" she said, slapping her forehead. "Would you mind….?" She trailed off, looking at him hopefully.

"Mind what?"

"Fetching it for me?"

He stared back at her for a long moment, then sighed. "Sure, it's not like I'm busy with anything except… eating breakfast," he huffed and stood up. "So what if my coffee gets cold? Real men cannot only hug, but they can also take their coffee with ice and chocolate sprinkles."

"That's the spirit," Bella responded at the same time as Emmett coughed "Whipped," not to subtly, from across the table and then grinned at the glare Edward threw back at him.

"Not whipped... just well trained," Rosalie pointed out, slapping her husband on the arm.

"Well trained and handsome. Just my type," Bella said with a smile, making Edward smile back and shake his head a little bit.

"I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important, but I'll get it myself, if it's too much trouble."

"No, I'll do it." He squared his shoulders like he was going into war. "I'm guestimating my appetite will be ruined in approximately four seconds anyway."

"Why would you say that?"

"Because I think I'm hearing a car pulling up on the drive way."

"Shoot, he's early." Bella felt a sudden pang of dread. She had a feeling it wasn't just the appetite that would be ruined. Although she only knew a fraction of what was actually going on, she knew her colleague's visit would put a damper on the rest of the day.

.

…..

.


	63. Chapter 62 - Toxic

**Chapter 62 - Toxic**

.

"Wait… are these?" Edward asked, tentatively flipping through the pages of text as though they might leap up and bite him.

"Yes, those are a selection of the Weber girl's journal entries wherein your name is mentioned," Seth Clearwater confirmed with a curt nod "Photocopies obviously. The actual notebooks have been bagged as evidence."

"Evidence of what: how much of a fool I've been?!" Edward stood abruptly and moved to the window, gazing out but not seeing anything.

"You are not the only one that was duped," Bella began at the same time as Seth said, "There's a rather detailed recount of how that boy of yours come to be. You should at least read that section, if nothing else. Though, I really think you should consider reading the whole thing - there's a lot of good stuff in there." He accented the word 'good' by rotating a finger over his template in a gesture for crazy.

"Great, I'll make sure to put it on my must-read list immediately," Edward quipped, though there wasn't an ounce of humor in his voice. "Glad we had this little chat. Was there anything else or can I get back to my breakfast?"

"Edward…geez! Don't be rude," Bella huffed, shuffling to get to her feet.

"No. Sit." he ordered. "I'm just saying that I'm not going to read anything right now, in this room, with the two of you here staring at me."

"But you WILL read it," Bella pressed. "For Anthony's sake."

"Eventually… sure… but not like this. Not here, not now."

"Fair enough," Seth nodded. "You have my number if you have anything you want to add or if you have any questions."

"You'll be the first one I'll call," Edward vowed grimly, though the eye roll at the end of the sentence told a different story.

"We're doing you a huge favor here. We have no obligation sharing anything from those journals with you."

"Some favor. Forgive me for not falling all over myself to thank you," Edward snorted, setting his chin in a stubborn line. "You call them journals, but how do you even know they are not just a bunch of well-constructed lies? You did bargain with the devil to get them after all."

"Edward," Bella started to rise to her feet again, but this time Seth was the one to push her back on the sofa again.

"Let me just clear one thing," Seth insisted firmly. "I think you both need to hear this. We did not cut Maria Nahuel any kind of deal."

"Then where did you get these from?" Edward questioned. "I distinctly heard you say…."

"No. What you heard was me letting Ms. Nahuel think that she was getting her way. I was simply buying us time to reevaluate and consider our options."

That didn't sit well with Edward. "What's there to think about?! This woman put an innocent child through hell."

"We're aware of that, but she's also considered a person of interest in a high-profile murder case."

"Endangering a child's welfare is a serious offense."

"It is, but in this case it will be difficult to prove who's responsible for what. The mother or the friend she entrusted her child to. The bottom line here is that we did NOT give in to her demands." Seth spoke slowly, firmly, every syllable stressed with great insistence.

"No, the bottom line is that Maria will be dealt with." Bella corrected him, because that was one detail that she felt was a matter of great importance. "She'll be facing charges for both identity and insurance fraud and um -"

"Money-laundering and whatever other charges we think are sustainable," Seth filled in with a grim twist of his lips. "Oh, she'll be dealt with alright. Ms. Nahuel has been moved to a safe house for protection and is currently under house arrest. In the meanwhile her apartment and workspace is being thoroughly searched and picked apart. It's too soon to tell whether any charges will stick, but either way she will be kept under a close scrutiny for a long, long time."

"So, wait?…You threatened the woman with various criminal charges and she got so spooked she immediately rolled over and handed in what little leverage and ammo she had?" Edward asked with a frown on his face.

"No. There was no need for threats. We simply pointed out that if she valued her life, her best bet was to cooperate fully and unconditionally."

"Meaning?" Edward and Bella asked at the same time.

"Meaning we presented her with evidence that her friend Angela was suffering from heavy metal poisoning at the time of her death."

"Wait…What?"

It was a revelation that confused more than it enlightened, for Edward at least. Bella on the other hand could sense where this was going.

"Interrogation tactics," she offered as a mean of explanation.

"What? I still don't get it…. "

"Neither did Ms. Nahuel at first," Seth supplied with poorly hidden satisfaction. "But once she realized what she was looking at; evidence of foul play, poisoning, death under suspicious circumstances…. "

"What Clearwater is saying is that Maria was presented with proof that there was foul play behind Angela's death; proof in form of a toxicology report."

Seth was nodding in agreement. "We also made sure she knew that we have reason to believe that Maria's own brother had something to do with it."

"But Angela hung herself… in her holding cell, after being caught breaking into private property." Edward objected, scratching the back of his head. "She was mentally unstable. It was suicide."

"Right, that's all true," Seth agreed, "But sometimes planting a seed of doubt is all it takes."

"A seed of doubt?" Edward repeated, the jaw slacked confusion still very much evident on his face.

"We may also have led Ms. Nahuel to believe that she, too, has been exposed to the very same poisonous toxins that killed her friend."

"Why? No, I get why, but…Its just… This all sounds crazy to me. Why would she believe something as absurd as that?"

"Not absurd, genius." Seth mused. He was in his right element now, loving being the one leading the conversation. "She stopped going into work. She was planning on leaving town and her one non-negotiable demand was a one-way ticket to somewhere safe. What does that tell you?"

"She's afraid there will be consequences…?" Edward still looked skeptical.

"She should to be," Bella, nodded. " If words get back that she's been speaking with the authorities, with the feds, with you….. "

"I'm sure you could tell that Ms. Nahuel was acting all kinds of skittish… in the car, when I first questioned her. Skittish and perhaps a bit paranoid, as she should be. She accepted money from a person with criminal and violent tendencies and then she failed to fulfill her part of the agreement. Let's just say, she has every reasons to be cautious." Seth crossed his arms over his chest. "So far nothing has happened. No retaliation, no revenge or retribution… but remember, she did mention feeling as though she was being watched."

"She's is not stupid. She doesn't want to spend the rest of her life looking over her shoulder, waiting. Wondering."

"Exactly," Seth agreed. "As I said before, we had a bit of a chat with her where we made her see that full cooperation was her only option."

"So you scared her into cooperation with a bunch of lies. Is that even legal?"

"It's not all lies. That's the beauty of this. Angela did in fact have unusually high levels of heavy metals, including lead, arsenic and mercury, in her system when she died. So high, in fact, that they far exceeded what might be expected from natural exposure."

"I don't understand…"

"Remember the hair samples Alice helped us to collect?" Bella asked, glancing at Seth quickly for help. "The hairbrush used for the DNA test. Once the maternity was proved, we had the lab run some more tests..."

"This is brand new development. We're still considering all possibilities. The official cause of death is still, and will always remain, suicide by hanging." Seth supplied. "However everything points towards a scenario where she was intentionally or accidentally exposed to something that was very harmful to her health."

"Why didn't you pick up on this before? Surely there were other tests…"

"It doesn't necessary have to be foul play. Meds purchased from questionable sources for example could explain some, if not all of those elevated levels."

"But you can't rule out that someone was messing with her? You seriously think she was poisoned?" Edward was hitting his forehead with the heal of his hand. "Let me get this straight…. Angela, the crazy stalker girl, who put strychnine in my coffee, was poisoned?! "

"That's the leading theory, yes," Bella nodded. "We obviously need to look into this further, but it all fits. Some of the most telltale symptoms are depression, mood swings, insomnia, fatigue, brain fog, loss of memory and forgetfulness. Basically at this point we can't even tell whether the intent was to actually cause her deadly harm, or to simply make an unstable person even more unstable."

"Lead is a known neuro-toxin," Seth informed them, rather unnecessarily. "Turns your brain into mush, pretty much."

"No shit," Edward replied dryly. Then his frown suddenly turned into a face of horror. "It can cause brain-damage in children. Isn't that why use of lead in paint was banned years and years ago?"

"No" Bella shook her head vigorously; suddenly happy she was sitting down as the thoughts spun around rapidly in her head. "That's not… Who would… I…"

"Don't freak out on us now, Swan!" Seth warned, moving to take the seat next to her on the sofa. "It's just one of those possibilities we have to consider."

"Wait!" Edward protested. "You're saying there is actually a chance that Anthony…. That his health concerns is somehow related to this?! Are you saying that he, too, might have been exposed?"

"There are so many symptoms… Rashes, allergies, headaches, frequent colds and flues as well as intolerance to medications and vitamins," Bella rambled, racking her brain, trying to remember everything she had read on the subject. "A lot of those fits, don't they?"

"True, but mother and child were separated months before her death, so he should be safe," Seth pointed out, before giving his full attention to Edward, who looked like he wanted to punch something or someone.

"I'm sure the little guy is fine, but I would suggest you allow me to bring back a hair sample to the lab just to make sure."

"Sure, of course," Edward agreed. "Blood, nails, hair… take whatever you need… without hurting or scaring him, of course. He's been through enough."

"Agreed. A few strands of hair will do."

Just then Seth's phone went off in his pocket. He instantly dug it out to check for messages and then held up a finger to signal that he needed a second.

Edward still looked like he wanted to disassemble someone and Bella found herself overwhelmed with a sudden urge to explain, to rationalize, to reassure..

"Edward, I swear I literally only just found out about this new toxicology report, like thirty minutes ago. Seth called on his way over here. I would have told you about it, but… there was breakfast on the table and people were waiting… and then Seth arrived before I got a chance to speak with you in private." The words tumbled out of her mouth like water from a burst dam. "It wasn't on purpose. I just never thought…"

"That's the problem with you, you never do."

Bella swallowed hard, she didn't realize until now that Edward's fists were clenched and his knuckles were white.

"She's telling the truth, you know, " Seth offered, his eyes still glued to his phone. "I called her from the car. I, myself, have only known for a day and a half, but I was sworn to secrecy. Swan is officially suspended from the case, as you might recall."

When Edward didn't respond other than turning his head away and folding his arms tighter against his chest, Bella drew a deep, shaky breath and continued. "The whole thing has been a regrettable oversight on our part. The initial autopsy and toxicology report come back inconclusive, but seeing as she had a history of being heavily medicated and seeing as it was clearly a case of suicide, it was never investigated further. However, with this new round of tests…. There was a more thorough testing process involved resulting in a more in-depth analysis of the substances present in her body at the time of death."

"Again, she's telling the truth," Seth cut in, when Edward opened his mouth to speak.

"What? Am I not allowed to say anything at all about this?"

"Depends on whether or not you can keep it civil, Cullen," Seth responded, puffing his chest out in a silent challenge.

"You don't even know what I was about to say."

"Why do you have to say anything? Why can't you just listen and give her benefit of a doubt? She deserves at least that much. You do realize how many times she has put her neck on the line for you, don't you?"

"Seth, don't you have plane to catch?" Bella tried to intervene, but Edward talked right over her.

"I never asked her to do that," he grunted. His fists clenching and unclenching as he loomed above the smaller man. "She is her own person and makes her own decisions. If you don't know that about her, then you don't know her at all. "

"I know her well enough to know that she, herself is her biggest devil."

"Yeah, well I've known her since we were teenagers, I'd like to think I kno-..:"

"Hey, cut it out! Don't turn this into a pissing contest," Bella snapped, interrupting them. "And don't talk about me like I'm not here."

"Sorry Swan," Seth amended compliantly, but not before giving the other man one final menacing glare. "I guess my work here is done, but remember, I'm only a few hours away if you need me."

Edward let out a disgruntled snort, but said nothing.

"I'll remember that." Bella gave her colleague an apologetic smile. "Thanks again, for everything. I don't mean to run you out of here or anything, but…"

"No worries. I can tell you two have some serious talking to do. Talking and listening." The last part was obviously aimed to irk Edward, and from the way the other man's jaw tensed, it was working. "Don't bother showing me to the door, I'll see myself out. Just tell me where I can find the kid and I'll be on my way."

"Oh, of course. He is somewhere downstairs with his cousin and his grandparents. I could sho-…"

"Never mind. I'll just follow the noise." Seth was already halfway out the room at this point.

"Let us know how it goes," Bella called after him.

"Will do," he responded with a wave over his shoulder, before Edward slammed the door shut, cutting him short.

Needles to say the silence that followed in the wake of his departure was deafening.

.

…..

.


	64. Chapter 63 - clusterfuck

**Chapter 63 - ****clusterfuck**

.

...

.

"You do know Clearwater has a thing for you, don't you?" Edward said it like it was stupidly obvious.

"I highly doubt it," Bella scoffed at the idea. "He's… we work together. We're friends, but that's not what we should be talking about right now."

She raised the folder she was holding in her hands, as to remind him.

Edward ignored her attempts to change the subject. "Just because you're friends doesn't mean he can't have a thing for you."

"Give it a rest," she told him. "He's not the type to pine over someone that's not interested, Edward."

"So you admit he's been hitting on you."

"That's what you got from what I just told you?" She sighed hard, burying her face in her hands for a moment. "Listen, yes, he can be a bit of a flirt, but he's not my type. He's too young, too short, too tan… he's not… He's not you."

"So you two never…."

She shook her head as his voice trailed. "Never."

"Sorry, I had to ask," he gave her a smile that, despite everything, still managed to be both sweet and a little sad. "It's just that this all reminds me of -…"

"He's not Jake," she cuts him off sharply. "He's nothing like Jake."

"I know. I'm sorry. It's irrelevant…but he sort of looks like him and the way you two interacts, finishing each other's sentences and stuff. I know you're right, though, this is not what I should be focusing my energy on."

He held his hand out to take the folder. She didn't give it to him; instead she took his outstretched hand and laced her fingers through his.

"It's okay," said, tugging him closer. "You should feel like you can ask any questions, no matter what. Better asking than presuming, okay?"

"Okay. I shouldn't have brought it up right now, though. Sorry... and I'm sorry about before, too. I should have let you talk. I should have kept my cool." He hung his head, like he was ashamed of himself. "I know I have made mistakes but I am trying, both with you and with Tony, I really am."

She debated for a moment, then untangled her hand and brought it up to his chest and over his heart, covering it with his left palm. "I know you have been trying."

"You can put that on my obituary. 'He died as he lived – trying,' he joked, rather lamely. "Right when I think I have a grip on the situation, the past rears its ugly head and pulls me down to this dark place I don't wanna go. I felt we made some progress earlier this morning, but now…"

"We DID make progress. We are making progress. We're talking right now, aren't we?!"

His brow was furrowed as he looked down at her. "Only technically. I feel like all we do is apologizing. That won't get us very far."

"Alright, no more apologies for either of us. As a matter of fact I have a few things I'd like to say, if you're willing to listen," she told him with more confidence than she actually felt. "It's about Anthony and the toxins and what I knew and when I knew it."

"This is a test, isn't it?" he asked, his head cocked to the side. "If we can't talk about this like two adults… If we can't talk about Anthony, who we both agree should be our top priority, then we might as well give up on this relationship altogether. "

"Well…. I think that's taking it a bit far, but I get what you're saying," she nodded. "My priorities are essentially the same as yours. You know I would never deliberately hurt or endanger Anthony, right?"

"Of course I know that."

"And you believe me when I say I only just found out about those test results and the toxins and all of that."

He closed his eyes for a moment before saying "Alright. I believe you."

"Good. Then I hope you also believe that I'll do everything in my power to find out as much as I can about what happened," she vowed in a low voice that carried the weight of her sincerity. "l couldn't care for him more if he was my own flesh and blood." There was a quiver to it that didn't go unnoticed by Edward.

"Let me guess, you're feeling responsible."

"N-no… yes… I know I'm not responsible… but…I should have known, I could have prevented… I…."

"Bella, for heaven's sake, stop," Edward grounded out with his teeth clenched tight. "Whatever happened, it was not your fault. No one could have predicted this clusterfuck." He hooked his fingers around the back of her neck, forcing her to look at him." It's not worth risking your health or the baby's health, racking your brain over something like this."

"What about Anthony's health and safety?" she asked. "If anything happens to him… He's just a baby. I can't even begin to fathom how someone could… that's just…"

"I know. I know," he cooed into her hair, as he scooped her up into his arms, and slowly walked the over to the nearest armchair. "I'm not saying I'm not worried, because I am. I have questions that no one seems to know the answers to. Tons of questions. There is nothing worse than not knowing. The situation is far from ideal, but fretting will only make it worse. I think you should take a step back and let your colleagues do their jobs. Tony will be fine. He's a fighter."

"Yeah, but the allergies, the malnourishment and…."

"He's fine," he interrupted her, pulling her down into his lap. "He's been mostly fine this whole time we've known him, so chances are that he'll stay perfectly healthy. "

"I suppose, he's not in any immediate danger," she agreed, though it sounded more like a question. "He might need-…"

"Let's not freak out until we have all of the facts." His hands went to her stomach, as a silent reminder as to why freaking out was a bad idea. "Have you forgotten we're living under the same roof as a walking, talking real-life version of a medical Wikipedia?" he reminded her.

"You're father, you, mean?" she asked with a hint of a smile. "Poor Carlisle, we're keeping him working around the clock – literally."

"And not just babysitting either," Edward pointed out, returning her smile. "Look up 'clusterfuck' in a dictionary and our picture would probably be there."

Bella couldn't hold back a snort of laughter. In fact they were both laughing when a small but distinct thump startled them. They both froze and waited. Bella directed Edward's hand over her belly, sandwiching it beneath her own and eventually it came again. It was only a soft pressure for a quick second, but it was definitely a kick.

"Tell me you felt that."

"I did, both times." Edward glanced at Bella with a bright smile and shining eyes.

"There it is again!" he exclaimed and laughed. "Oh wow, we might have a soccer champion on our hands."

"I'll settle for a healthy baby, with a healthy heart, but a soccer champion is fine too." She squeezed his hand. "Thank you."

Edward blinked, "Uh… you're welcome. What are you thanking me for?"

"For listening and reassuring me, when I should be the one reassuring you. For hugging me and holding me and making me laugh."

"Now you're making me sound like a real jerk. You shouldn't have to thank me for such basic, fundamental things."

"I don't care, I'm thanking you nonetheless," she stated matter-of-factly. "Also, and you don't know this yet, but you're about to offer to take me outside for a walk later on today. And for that I will owe you a thousand thank yous. So there you go…"

"A walk? Is that really-…" His eyes instantly narrowed, but she didn't let him finish. "Your father approved it. It was his suggestion even."

"You wanna go outside for a walk?"

"Yes, I really do. Please, don't make me have to spend the entire day with your sister. Don't get me wrong, I love your sister, but…"

"There is only so much of Alice one can endure without going insane," he finished the sentence for her.

"Exactly!"

"Fine, but can I at least finish my breakfast first?" he whined jokingly. "I seriously feel like I ran a marathon last night."

Bella raised an eyebrow at him.

"Try running that marathon with a 20 something lbs backpack, then you get back to me."

.

…

.

Bella finally made it outside that afternoon after what felt like forever, but the fresh air was well worth the wait.

"Where did Jaz go?" she asked, kicking snow off her boots, where it had gathered. Standing still made the cold more noticeable and she pulled her coat tightly around her as she glanced around them, appreciating the beauty of their surroundings. Although the snow had sunk down dramatically, the frost still held on tightly, leaving everything covered in a layer of delicate and perfectly shaped ice crystals that glittered like diamonds in the sun.

"Elliot needed to go potty, so he brought him back to the house," Edward explained, then laughed at something he saw in the clearing ahead of them.

She followed his gaze to the frozen pond where Anthony was waddling around with a hockey stick in his hand, shouting "Bawll! Bawll! Baaaallllll!" at his grandpa even though it was a puck they were chasing after. The giant helmet on his head made him look like a visitor from outer space.

"You could join them, you know," Bella felt the need to point out. "I don't mind. I can go sit with Esme for a bit."

"Nah," he shook his head. "He's having a blast without me and that's actually a good thing, but if you want to sit down.…" he trailed off.

"No," she shook her head. "I think I'd rather walk some more, if that's alright with you. It looks like the inside of the freezer out here today. It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"I guess." He shrugged, shrugged noncommittally and then frowned. "You're not cold, are you?"

"No, I'm not cold. You just asked me five minutes ago. Ask again and I'll knock you out and leave you unconscious in a snow bank."

"Please don't." He quickly puts both his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "We'd probably both end up in that snow bank and then freeze our asses off."

"Ha! Good thing I've got more body fat than you then. My ass would outlast yours by a millennium or two."

"Oh, I'm not going to comment on that one. I love your curves. I think I prefer freezing my balls off than having you rip me to shreds for using the word fat in the same sentence as your ass."

She rolled her eyes at him. "I'm the one that brought it up and I was simply stating facts."

"Ah well, I've been warned about this, from multiple sources I might add. Never call a pregnant woman fat even if she says she is fat."

"That's bullshit… A pregnant woman is always right, haven't you heard?! If she says she's fat, she's fat. And if she says she wants to walk, she wants to walk." She looped her arm through his and dragged him through the snow.

"Look at those threes and the hill over there! It's almost kind of magical."

"It's icy and hazardous, that's what it is, but fine let's walk some more." He tucked his hands into his pockets and let himself be lead around the pond and into the shadowy woodland.

.

...

.

"So, I have a question…"

"Only one? Good for you," Edward replied unenthused. "I have a TON of questions, unanswered questions."

"I know you do," she slapped him through the front of his jacket. "It was simply a conversation starter."

They had been walking in silence for a little while, not an uncomfortable silence, but it wasn't warm and fuzzy either. There were still things that needed to be said and this time, it needed to be done right.

"Listen Edward, I didn't want to ask before when Jasper was around, but have you figured out what to do about your apartment?"

The question seemed to surprise him, because he blinked like he was unable to comprehend what she had said.

"I'm only asking because I heard Alice tell your mom that you were welcome to live with her and Jaz for as long as needed."

"Hell no! I'm not living with my sister," His face looked almost comically horrified as he shook his head. "Well, not a moment longer than necessary, anyway. I just haven't had the time to get anything sorted yet."

"That's what I thought," Bella gave a nervous smile back. Nervous because... well… "I don't have a spare room," she blurted. "I mean, I DO have a spare room, but it wont be vacant much longer. I have this new, demanding roommate getting ready to move in." She looked directly into his eyes when she said this and smiled at her own joke. Edward did not smile back.

"Otherwise I'd let you use it for as long as you needed. Now all I can offer is a few weeks. If that helps."

"Roommate?" his eyes narrowed.

"I'm talking about the baby, Edward. The baby is going to need a proper nursery."

"Right. I know that. Of course I know that," he grumbled. "And I also know your place is only marginally bigger than mine, so…."

"Yeah, I'd offer to swap with you, but I don't think your place is a good fit for me with a newborn and all… I'm sorry, it just wouldn't work. "

"It's not a good fit for either one of us. That's the problem. Features like open planning and floor-to-ceiling windows are nice, but not very practical or kiddy-friendly. There isn't enough space. If there is one thing I've learned, it is that kids require a lot of space to move around."

"Just how many kids are you planning on having? Twenty?"

"Ha, no! Two are plenty enough," he snorted. "Apparently it's two more than I was prepared to accommodate for."

"You'll figure it out. You have your whole family willing to help in any way they can."

"Umm yeah, about that… I'm sure my family has been offering advice as to what your next move should be, what our next move should be. Please ignore them. It's really none of their concerns."

"I'm sure they mean well."

"Sometimes I wonder..." Edward rolled his eyes. "I'm not homeless or anything. I have a perfectly livable apartment. It's just that it's kind of small and I wouldn't feel safe there and I need to feel safe in my own home. That's important." He stopped walking and waited until she turned around to face him. "I know I'm being a bit paranoid, but you're talking to the guy who's been drugged, stalked and harassed, so…"

"Oh, good point. Safety is important. Absolutely," she agreed, biting her lip. "My head was all wrapped up in kiddy safety, like how you'd have to secure those big windows of yours and stuff like that, but you're right, there are other safety aspects that are far more important."

"I figure I should look into finding a place in a gated community, or a secured building or something along those lines."

"Sounds like a good plan. Just so we're clear, there is no eminent danger to your life, your family, or your property. However, I want you to know that if there are any signs of trouble, I'll make sure you're put on 24-hour protection straight away," she told him in a somber voice. "Suspension or no suspension, I can still see to that."

"I don't want to live like that, though" he sighed. "I don't want that for Tony."

"I know. I won't lie to you. This won't be solved overnight. The feeling I'm getting is that this will remain an open investigation, an open wound, until all the guilty parties are brought to justice and that, I'm afraid, might take a while."

"I figured that much," he rubbed a glove-covered hand over his face. "Look, if you want to help me keep Tony safe, then help me find someplace suitable to live. Security is obviously top priority, plus room for Tony and the new baby, of course…and…" He looked uncertain for a moment, and then drew in a deep breathe, before adding a simple but firm, "And you."

"And me, what?"

"You should live there too."

"No. Listen, Edward, I don't think…."

"Don't think, hear me out first. We both know it's not ideal for you to be living on your own when you're not feeling100% well."

"This sounds like a recipe for disaster, if you ask me," she objected, but he held up his hands to stop her.

"I'm not saying you should get rid of your own apartment, or anything drastic like that. We could make it a temporary thing. It doesn't have to be romantic, or anything. You could have your own room, if that's what you want. We could be like platonic flat mates. "

"I don't know…"

"I'd be keeping an eye on you and the baby and you'd be keeping an eye on me and Tony. It's a win-win."

"I do want us to be a proper family together, but just the other day you said you didn't think for a minute that we could make it work in the long run. You said you couldn't make me any promises. I know we've had several good, long talks since then, not to mention some pretty spectacular sex, but it's a long step from that to moving in together. So excuse me for being a bit cautious."

"I did say that, all of that… and I meant it when I said it, because that's how I felt in that precise moment. It's just… when you started talking about living arrangement just now, I felt… I realized… I…"

He ran a hand through his hair, taking a moment to collect himself. "It's not that I don't want us to work this out, I do. I'm willing to try. I know we have a lot of talking, listening and compromising to do. I also know that we're kind of in a time crunch, because once the baby gets here we're going to have our hands full. Those first few months before we get a hang of things will be crazy. Think about it. It would be convenient if we were all living in one place."

Bella couldn't help herself, she burst into uncontrollable laughter.

"I mean it! We could take turns, tag team this thing and … What's so funny?" he asked, sounding a bit irritated. "This is important."

Bella's giggles ebbed away so she could actually look up at him. "I know. It's just… Was that suppose to be romantic? One minute you sound like you're gearing up to make a proposal, then the next you're talking about tag-teaming, like it's a wrestling match."

"I'm trying to be practical here! " he huffed indignantly. "And I'm most definitely NOT proposing."

"Not marriage. I know that. You're not down on your knees and there is no ring, but you're sort of asking me to share my life with you."

"No, I'm not. I mean, I am, but not… not like that," he protested. "Stop laughing at me."

"I'm not laughing at you. It's just… Alice…. and her silly predictions. You know she fully expects you to get down on one knee and pop the question before…-"

"… the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve, which is tonight. Yeah, she's dropped some not-so-subtle hints as of lately." He rolled his eyes. "I though we'd agreed not to pay her any attention when she gets like that."

"I know, I'm sorry. I just thought it was funny that you'd pick today of all days to proposition me, that's all."

"Fine, let's do this properly. If it's a proposal you want, a proposal is what you'll get." Pulling his gloves off, he took her hand and sank down on the snowy ground next to her. "Isabella Marie Swan, will you do me the extraordinary honor of becoming my flat mate?"

When she didn't answer, he added, "My temporary flat mate, who is free to come and go as she pleases."

"That's better. You'd have to do your own laundry and pick up after yourself."

"I can be trained." His face split into a wide grin. "Is that a yes?"

"Fine… Yes, it's a yes. But I get to tell Alice," she grumbled, tugging a lock of his fringe affectionately. "I'm so gonna make her think you actually did propose and that we're planning on eloping to Vegas for the wedding."

"Vegas, that's no distance. Why stop there?" He rose to his feet again and dusted off the wet snow from his knee. "We should have her catch us discussing property prospects in Alaska, or some other very remote location, just to mess with her."

"Love it," Bella threw her head back and laughed. "Let's go find her straight away."

"Yeah, let's do that, but first a kiss to seal our vows properly." Pulling her tight against him, he lowered his head until their lips touched for a gentle kiss.


	65. Chapter 64 - onward and forward

**Chapter 64 - onward and forward**

"Hurry up, my toes are going numb," Edward whined while beckoning her to walk faster.

They were making their way back towards the house, Edward walking first on the snowy path, with Bella slowly trudging behind him.

They were the first to head back inside. The rest of the bunch was still engaged in a variety of outdoors activities. It was the last day, the last afternoon, of a very eventful year and the unspoken plan seemed to be to get the kids exhausted enough to get them down early, so that everyone could start off the new year well-rested… or pleasantly buzzed… He suspected there would be champagne. And great food too, of course.

Edward didn't know the exact plans. Didn't care. He just wanted to get back inside the house and enjoy some toddler-free silence. Bella, however, was not cooperating at all. For all she claimed to be an intelligent and high functioning adult, she sure acted like a four year old digging her heels into the snow when it was time to leave. He suspected the only reason she was even walking at all, was because her was growling quite audibly.

"Come on, my great-great-grandma walks faster than that."

"You don't want your soon to be live-in-girlfriend to fall and break her neck, do you?" she shot back innocently, grabbing onto his upper arm to balance herself. "That would mean a lot of extra work for you."

"Cute, but keep walking, Swan. I'm not falling for that. It's really not THAT slippery."

He pushed her forward, but not without making sure his arm was securely around her before he did so.

"I've told you at least ten times already that I really don't want to go inside until I absolutely have to," she reminded him with a small pout.

"And I've warned you just as many times that you are not so big that I can't throw you over my shoulder."

"Yeah right, but then you'd be stuck with back pains and a very sexy hunchback look. Why are you even complaining, Edward. You're enjoying this just as much as I am."

"I'm complaining because I can. I mean why are we still out here, when we could be inside, lounging in front of the fireplace, snacking, drinking hot chocolate and taking a quiet nap together?"

"I'll tell you why…. It's called fresh air. Smell it, breath it, it's good for you," she teased, but picked up her pace just a little.

Despite Bella's best attempt to drag her feet it was inevitable that they would reach the point where the wood line and the house property met.

However, as the house itself came into view, they both stopped in their tracks, momentarily blinded by intense sunlight reflected from a nearby glass surface. It was a car window, it seemed. Bella shut her eyes and grimaced. When she opened them again, two silhouettes had appeared next to the car.

Edward touched her shoulder questioningly, and she grabbed blindly for his arm, pulling him back with her into the cover of the thicker tangles of vegetation.

Even from this distance she could tell that the men were dressed in black from head to toe. They were agents, she realized with startling clarity.

"Looks like the cavalry is here," she exhaled in a quiet voice.

"What?"

"You've got visitors," she explained reaching for her phone. "Remember how I said they would send new agents."

"I remember," he grumbled. "Something about bringing in fresh eyes to look things over … Yes, I remember," he repeated, and then his eyes widened dramatically. "You mean they are here now? Today?!"

"Looks that way."

"Oh, okay…I just thought they'd let us get through the holidays first. But I guess that was too much to ask for."

"You're a person of interest now," she explained, without really explaining anything. "I don't think they've seen us yet, so that gives us a few minutes to prepare."

"Prepare for what?" Edward questioned, rubbing his temples. "Are they taking me somewhere? Do I have to get into that car with them?"

"No, there is no need for that," she answered without looking up from her phone. "I'll give Seth a call. He should know why they're here, but I think they just want to ask you some questions."

"Fine, I'll talk with them, but I don't want any surprises." He looked up and locked eyes with her. "I don't think I can take any more surprises."

"I know, that's why I'm calling Seth. You should go back and look for Jasper. They are going to want to speak with him too."

He gave a resigned nod and looked back at the path they had just come from.

"Maybe, if I'm lucky I'll get lost in the woods and never have to answer another question again."

"Great plan. You might want to rethink it, though. Your mother would have the national guard here faster than you could say 'hypothermia'."

"I'll fake amnesia," he muttered, as he started walking away. "Who are you? ...Where am I?...Who am I?"

He heard Bella snort. Apparently the irony was not lost on her.

.

….

.

"Now that wasn't so bad, was it?" Esme asked Edward afterwards.

"Not so bad!" he echoed incredulously. "Are you kidding?"

As it turned out, it had taken Agent Tanner and Agent Biers almost three hours to get through all the questions they had prepared for Edward and Jasper. Three hours of poking around in wounds that weren't healed.

"My brain feels like a wrung-out dishrag, and that's me putting it mildly. If I wasn't so tired, I'd be throwing furniture around and breaking stuff right about now," he gritted out between clenched teeth. "So to answer your question, it wasn't bad. It was downright awful."

"Then I'm sorry you had to go through that." Esme patted his arm. "I hope you know how proud we are of you for keeping yourself together, Edward honey," she added, before getting back to the task of feeding her grandchild another bite of peas.

Anthony….

It probably wasn't a coincident that they were having this conversation in front of Anthony. As bad as his mood was at the moment, he wasn't about to lose his temper in front of his son. Esme knew this and apparently didn't hesitate to take advantage of that fact.

"Doesn't it feel good to have it over with, though?" she inquired. "I know it's not the same, but Jasper is relieved to finally have everything out in the open."

Of course she had found the time to speak with Jasper. He should have expected that much, really.

"Eh… not the same thing, no," he told her, clenching his fists and counting to ten in his head.

The thing was, Jasper had been allowed to stay even after they were done with his portion of the questions, meaning he had been there for the entire thing, meaning he had been there when Edward had been forced to talk about things he rarely ever spoke about with anyone, especially not strangers with FBI badges and recording devices.

Truth be told though, Jaspers presence had been just about the only thing that had kept Edward from running out of that room.

"It all seems so pointless." The words fell out his mouth before he could catch them. He hadn't meant to say it aloud, but it was how he felt. "They are the same old questions, just different people asking them."

He could tell his mother was opening her mouth to argue, so he quickly added, "I mean, it would be fine, if I believed it would actually lead somewhere, but…."

"Jasper said those two agents came across as very thorough and very professional. Also, didn't you say just the other day that everything was happening at a pace you can't quite keep up with?"

"Lovely, you know you're messed up when your mother calls you out on bullshit," he grumbled with a grimace, giving Tony a look of exaggerated alarm that earned him a fit of giggles.

"Just because it's not going the direction you thought it would, doesn't mean it can't lead anywhere good."

"True, I suppose," he agreed, looking away from her for a few seconds. His mother said nothing; he didn't expect her to. So, he continued. "Fine… What I meant when I said I couldn't keep up, was that there are things I've only just started to remember. Memories that are still new and raw. I really don't feel like rehashing those with anyone. I just want to forget and move on with my life. Is that so wrong?"

"Of course not. Please know that you're entitled to those feelings. However, forgetting and moving on, is going to be tougher than you think, considering you have a living, breathing reminder to feed and clothe and care for," with that she pushed the plate of reheated food towards him. "Here take over this. I have a New Year's eve feast to prepare."

"Good one, mom!" He made a big production of sighing, but picked up the spoon and the plate anyway. "Kick me while I'm already down why don't you."

"That wasn't a jab at you. That was the truth," she replied in a sing-song voice, ruffling Tony's hair, before pulling a cookbook off the shelf by the window.

Edward used the distraction to fill the spoon with food, mostly vegetables. Anthony saw the vegetables coming and clamped his mouth shut, twisting his head as far away as he could.

"What?! These are yummy!"

"Blah…" The boy spat out what seemed to be a mouthful and a half of soggy peas and made a face that told his dad he was questioning his judgment in what was considered 'yummy'.

"Alright, no more green stuff," Edward grunted before he tried again, with carrots this time, but much like before the boy managed to move away from the spoon.

"Hey, don't look at me that way, kiddo. I'm not in charge of the menu here," he said, pointing the spoon at the boy playfully.

Esme laughed. "We all agreed to try and cut down on his sugar intake. You were the one who insisted on it really."

"And of course you listened," Edward sighed. "Why are we feeding him this early anyway? He doesn't seem all that hungry."

"He may not be hungry, but look at him, he's dead tired. He's been outside all day. He'll fall asleep before the table is even set."

"Alright…. can we at least add some ketchup?" he suggested, accepting the pack of baby wipes that his mother handed him. "Or wait… How about we put these sausages on a sandwich, Tony? You'd like that right?"

The response was lukewarm at best, but he decided it was worth a shot. Of course, the whole thing turned into a messy fiasco, but at least Tony ate two slices of bread. Edward hated the idea of sending him to bed with an empty stomach.

Later, when Edward was about to take the child upstairs for a diaper change, his mother asked him about the next step.

"Next step?" he parroted back, adjusting Tony on his hip.

"Did they say anything? How they are planning on proceeding. The agents, I mean?"

"Not really, no. We just wait, I suppose... Dad told you what Clearwater needed those hair samples for, right?"

"Of course," she nodded. "So, we wait for the test results."

"Yes, we wait for Tony's test results," he sighed. "And then there is the fetal heart ultrasound thingy… next Thursday…"

"It will be fine. They will all be fine. You'll see," she told him, giving him a hug, or half a hug considering there was a sleepy toddler between them.

"Thanks. I actually believe so too, but I would feel a lot better knowing for sure."

"If you and Bella can survive a falling roof, you'll survive anything."

"Even moving in together?" he hinted, with a poorly hidden grin on his face. He couldn't believe he had almost forgotten something so monumental. Then again, as distressing as his afternoon had been, he wasn't surprised his mind wasn't up to par."

"Oh, Edward! Is it true? That makes me really happy to hear."

"I can't NOT try, you know. Living together seems like a good place to start for us. As great as this has been, I'm really looking forward to going home. No offence," he gave his mother a sheepish smile.

"None taken," she responded patting his cheek. "Carlisle has been reminding me every night before we go to bed that grandchildren are not for keeps. That they are only ours on loan for a while."

"He knows you pretty well."

"Yeah, and sometimes when he tells me that, I think 'thank heavens' and we laugh about it for a bit, and sometimes I cry a few tears because .. .well, you know me, I tend to get really attached," she gave him a watery smile. "It will be fine though. It's not like you're leaving tomorrow, right?"

"Right. Nothing is set in stone yet, but we're working on it, as in looking for an apartment to live in together. Don't tell the others, though. I promised Bella, she could be the one to tell Alice."

"She's gonna flip," his mother warned.

"I know. She's gonna have a kitten when she hears about this. An actual, literal fuzzy kitten, that breathe fire and poop rainbows. Speaking of poop, I'm going to take this little guy upstairs now."

Esme giggled loudly and waved her hand at him. "I was gonna say, she'll gloat and insist it's all her doing, but yeah there will be kittens too."

"Say goodnight to your nana, Anthony." He bounced the child to get a reaction. "I see you at dinner, mom."

"Goodnight, Anthony," Esme waved, pleasantly surprised when the boy drowsily waved back.

.

….

.


	66. Chapter 65-Cosmic interference

**Chapter 65-Cosmic interference**

**.**

-December 31st-

The amount of gas passed this evening: Deadly

Number of embryos pressed against my bladder: 10

Current cravings: Pickles dipped in ice cream, cocktail onions and vinegar… disgustingly yummy.

Fake engagements: 2

Embarrassing sex-related insinuations: lost count

Sore feet: 2

Hours left till midnight: 4

Alcohol units: Big fat zero. It's been like ten years ore something since I was last sober on new years….

Side note: Edward wants it noted that his feet are sore too and that his back feels like a goddamn elephant stepped on it.

Stop hijacking my pity party, damnit!

-End of message-

.

….

.

-December 31st, second message-

I almost forgot to remind myself to remember to get the laundry done, STAT!

-End of message-

.

….

.

-December 31st, third message-

Top two baby names at the moment...maybe... Andie and Ellis

-End of message-

.

…

.

"Well, that went well," Edward said, not able to keep the smile off his face.

He had been trying for sarcasm, but was too tired, too content, too sated to pull it off. The couch was comfy and the house was quiet for once. He heard voices from the dining room, but it felt like a million miles away.

"Mm, hm…." Bella lifted her head off his shoulder and nodded. "I thought so too. It's our second fake engagement after all. We're like pro's at this by now." She grinned and moved closer to him on the couch.

"Not funny," he groaned. "Some advanced warning would have been nice, you know. I never expected I'd have to get down on one knee, mid-meal, in front of the entire family and re-enact a proposal that never happened in the first place. I'm not good at improvising."

"Aww, I thought you did pretty good," she giggled. "And I did warn you. In fact, everyone but Alice got the heads up. "

"Yeah well, that didn't exactly make it any easier. My stupid brother nearly blew it by laughing though the entire dinner. Not easy to keep a straight face when everyone around you is cracking up at every single thing you say."

"Better that, than having it turn into one giant cry feast though. Imagine if your mother hadn't known it wasn't real…"

"Speaking about my mother… Did she coach you to say all those things about the ring?" he asked touching the makeshift engagement ring Bella had tied around her ring finger.

It was made out of a now slightly withered flower, with a stem was so fragile it nearly fell apart as Edward raised their entwined hands to get a better look at it. The flower was white and nondescript and came from Esme's fresh flower table arrangement.

"No, she just dropped this into my lap as she passed me some more gravy, whispering 'Alice expects a ring'. That's all. The rest was… I'm not sure where it came from, I was just…"

"Improvising."

"Exactly. Good thing your sister wants to believe this thing," she motioned between them. "so bad, she will fall for just about any romantic crap we feed her, eh?"

"Oh, so you're telling me you don't have your great-grandmother's sapphire and diamond, 18 carat, wedding ring stored away in a safety-deposit box?" he teased. Or at least sounded like he was teasing.

She turned in his arms to be able to look at his face. "Actually I do, but it's a plain silver band. No frills at all, which is why I cherish it immensely."

"But it's not actually like one of those rings that is passed down from generation to generation, like you implied."

"I never said that."

"No, but you implied."

"I had to explain the ring-less finger somehow," she huffed at his remark. "I honestly believe it could make a beautiful engagement ring… you know for some happy couple somewhere, someday... Not that I'd ever sell it but... I'd honestly never go for anything big and flashy myself and there has to be others that feel the same way I do. There's no need to buy new when slightly used will do."

She was rambling. Why was she rambling? None of the words that were coming out of her mouth made a great deal of sense.

Edward looked at her suspiciously. "Are you hinting at something?"

"No…why would you think that?" Then she realized exactly what he must be thinking. "NO! I was just trying to point out that there is at least a smudge of truth in everything that was said tonight. Because I know it bugs you to lie to your sister. That's all!"

"Okay fine!" he laughed at her flustered reaction. "Just checking… So, how long are you planning on keeping this up anyway?"

"I don't know, a few days maybe. I guess it all depends on Jasper. If you hate to lie to your sister, then imagine how he feels."

"Oh, good point. Maybe, I can whisk him away for a celebratory outing tomorrow, seeing as I've just appointed him my best man and everything. That should give you a whole day, at least, to mess with Alice."

"Brilliant! You're the best fake fiancé ever." She kissed his cheek once, then placed her head back on his shoulder. "Speaking of outings, weren't you already planing on doing something with Rosalie?"

"An outing with Rose? "

"Alice overheard the two of you making plans. She was actually kind of miffed because she thought you were taking Rosie ring shopping."

"Oh, that…"he laughed. "Not ring shopping. I've been thinking of having some ink done. Remember Rosie's friend Vera from way, way back?" He waited for her to nod before he continued. "Her boyfriend owns the only decent tattoo shop around here. He's actually supposed to be pretty good. I wanted to check out the place and I thought it would be a good idea to have Rose tag along, seeing as she kind of knows the guy."

"You're getting another tattoo?"

"I'm considering it, yes," he nodded. "I want to add Anthony's name below the Cullen crest on my arm. And I would love to do it in the next few days, if possible. You know, like a symbolic start of the New Year. "

"That's actually a sweet idea."

"Uh-Uh... My brother, sweet? What did he do now?" Emmett's booming voice came as a shock to them. Seconds later he appeared in the doorway with a digital camera his hands. The flash went off and the camera clicked noisily.

"Mom said to document everything, so that's what I'm doing," he offered as an explanation. "So, what's so sweet about Eddie? Did he book a fake honeymoon for his fake fiancée? Because a trip to Mexico sounds like a sweet idea to me."

"Shhh, not so loud," Bella shushed him, pushing herself up to a sitting position. "We're going to Vegas. Elvis themed wedding, haven't you heard? Then we're thinking of making a detour to Alaska, permanently."

"Oooh, I Iike Vegas, can I come?" He snapped another picture, before lowering the camera again.

"No, you can't come, because we're not going. Fake engagement, remember?" Edward sighed, pulling at his hair. "If you must know, I was just telling Bella about my plans for tomorrow, that's all."

"He's getting a tattoo," Bella offered, causing Edward to sigh again. It hadn't escaped Bella's notice that he didn't want to tell his brother any details. She didn't get why though. Emmett had plenty of tattoos of his own, including one with El's birth date on his wrist.

"He wants to add Anthony's name to his Cullen crest. A symbolic start of the New Year. I thought it was sweet," she added, giving Edwards hand a little squeeze.

"Oh really, bro? You were telling her about a tattoo? A new tattoo?" Emmett came over to the couch and plopped himself down on his brother's outstretched feet. "Why don't you tell her about the ones you already got? You chicken shit!"

"Ow! Get off me you heavy fucker!"

Emmett took three more photos in quick succession, before whispering theatrically to Bella, "You should ask him about it. He thinks I don't know, but I was right there when he had it done. He was drunk off his ass."

"Yes I was, that's no secret. I puked all over your precious car. I don't think she wants to hear about that."

"Oh, I don't know. From what I remember it was quite an eventful day."

"No, it was not… "

Just then a door banged open somewhere close by.

"Dessert's ready!" a shrill voice announced. This, of course had Emmett off the couch in a heartbeat.

"My Rosie is calling. We'll continue this argument later," he shouted, practically running for the door.

"Pay no attention to my brother," Edward scoffed. "One too many refrigerators dropped on his head when he was little."

He held his hand out, helping Bella to stand. Then he laced their fingers together before they started making their way they towards the sounds of muffled voices and laughter.

.

…..

.

"You don't have to tell me."

"Tell you what?" Edward pulled the cover around them. Bella's head was resting on his shoulder, as she drew pictures with her fingertips across his torso.

They were lying in bed together, curled up in the dark. It was a little past midnight, or more precisely 12:43, which was the earliest escape they had been able to get away with.

"Your tattoos. We were talking about your tattoos," she reminded him and smoothed the hair from his tired face.

His eyes closed at the contact. "Sorry, I'm just dead tired," he murmured, leaning his forehead to rest against hers. "I should have been in bed hours ago, but missing the champagne toast at midnight on New Years Eve is apparently a cardinal sin in this house. At least I got a childfree night out of it."

"Yeah, that was really sweet of her to offer," Bella replied as she absentmindedly traced the tattoo on his left arm. He had a few more on his arms, not like a sleeve or anything, just modest sized tattoos. This one, the Cullen crest, had not been there when she had first met him back in high school.

"I hope the little hooligan sleeps long and well and that he's good to his nana," Edward stated, eyes still closed. "Because I could sure use a night of uninterrupted sleep."

Bella hummed in agreement, while she spelled out T-O-N-Y on his skin with the tip of her finger.

He caught her hand, trapping her fingers against his chest. "You realize you've never asked about them before, right? I've been waiting, or rather dreading, but you've never asked. And then my stupid brothe-…"

"Your tattoos?" she interrupted him. "The new ones? Didn't realize there was anything special about them. Not that they are not special, it's just…"

"What's that suppose to mean?" He opened an eye to look at her. "You don't like them?"

"I didn't say that;" she defended herself. "Even if they weren't well designed and well executed, which they obviously are, I'd still like them. They are part of you."

"Very diplomatic, Swan." He sighed like he was a bit annoyed. "You don't have to love them all, you know. Or say that you love them just to please me."

"No, I really do like them. I don't get the meaning behind a few of them, but knowing you, they are probably all well thought out and wisely chosen," she told him in complete seriousness. Then, to lighten the mood she jokingly added, "Also, this is going so well and I'd hate to start a fight over some silly tattoos."

"Hey!" he huffed and narrowed his eyes. "They are NOT silly!"

"You have a pair of scissors tattooed on your foot."

The tattoo she was referring to was on the skin between his big toe and second toe and was accompanied words 'cut here'.

"A par of very aesthetic looking pair of scissors, mind you. Very pleasing on the eye," Edward said with a laugh. "But okay, fine. That one is kind of silly. I have no regrets though, every single one of my tattoos means something to me regardless of whether or not it means anything to anyone else."

"I know that. I'm just messing with you," she said kissing his cheek. "So tell me what's so special about the new ones you've got? What do they mean? The crest is self explanatory, I guess, but the other two…."

Reaching for her, he grasped her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. She sighed happily, reviling in the warmth, the connection between them.

"The crest is about family and gratitude," he finally admitted, confirming what she already knew. "Because no matter where I came from…"

"They ARE your family." She snuggled into his chest, waiting for him to continue.

"Yeah, something like that. The feather is… " He lifted his arm so that it was facing her, "…well, it's actually supposed to be a small, white swan's feather."

"A feather from a swan?"

"Feather of a white, female Swan, yes."

"Shut up!"

"No, it's true."

She reached out to touch the ink. "When did you get it done and how drunk were you?"

"First week of college and I was surprisingly sober for that one."

"So, then it's not this one that Emmett's been ribbing you about. That leaves the writing on the underside of your forearm. Is it kinky? Or misspelled, or just embarrassingly cheesy?"

He shock his head. "They are connected; the feather and the words. I don't know how he figured it out, but he did and now he finds it hilarious to mock me about it all the freaking time."

"Figured what out? What does it say?"

"It's a reminder, kind of like confession of a life learned lesson," Edward admitted, rubbing his thumb over the letters. "'The best way to catch a swan is not by scaring it away,' that's what it says."

Bella immediate response was to laugh, in a nervous you-can't-be-serious kind of way; but Edward's eyes told her that he wasn't joking. "Really?" she choked out. "Are you serious?"

"Dead serious. I'm not making this up. It's an actual African proverb. I exchanged 'bird' for 'Swan' but other than that it's legit. I wanted to keep it private, hence the placement and the choice of language."

He read it again, moving his thumb along the letters as he spelled it out for her word by word.

"So this is some African tribal language then?" She mirrored his thumb's movements with her own.

"No, it's Gaelic. The tattoo artist that designed it for me was Irish and supposedly I have like a quarter or something of Irish blood flowing through my veins, so… It made sense at the time."

"Ah, I see… this is where the alcohol comes in."

"I was out of my mind drunk… and not even twenty years old… and sentimental because I had seen an old red Chevy pick-up truck hurtle down the highway at 65 miles per hour that very same day. You were my 'the one that got away' and each and every reminder was like salt on fresh wound, you know and..."

"And getting a reminder as permanent as a tattoo inked into your skin helped how exactly?"

"Oh, don't you start mocking me, too," Edward warned, wrapping his right arm tight around her neck in a side headlock. "I know we were teenagers, but losing you broke my fuckin' heart." He nuzzled the side of her face affectionately. "And I stubbornly held onto my anger for a very long time."

She pulled away. "For the record, I was pretty heartbroken too. Luckily, it appears as though swans are not as easily spooked as other birds. This Swan is still around, isn't she," Bella said, pointing to herself.

"But I kind of did scare you away, though... And I suppose this tattoo was my way of acknowledging that at least some, if not all, of the fault was my own."

"We were both to blame. We didn't know what we were doing. " Bella ran her fingers soothingly through his hair." We were just kids, that had to cope with the shit we were dealt."

"I know, but we've moved past that now, right? We're supposed to be older and wiser now. We're supposed to be adults, raising babies. Though, I'm still not clear on how I went from having zero kids to two kids on my conscience, literally overnight."

He looked al bit frazzled at that, probably thinking about all the sleep he would miss out on, or the staggering amount of diapers two kids can go through in a day.

She took pity on him and said, "You're not alone in this. We're co-parenting, remember?" she nudged his shoulder in affection and continued. "At the risk of sounding like Alice, maybe it was fate that it all happened this way. Have you thought of that?"

Edward made a skeptical face. His tiredness seemed to be forgotten now. "You don't believe in fate," he reminded her.

"Maybe, I've changed my mind," Bella turned over and fluffed up her pillow a few times before lying back again. "I don't believe in coincidences, so it must be something else."

"Like what? Cosmic interference?"

"Maybe," she shrugged. "As much as I digress believing in destiny or fate or the universe's plan, there must be some kind of reason our path crossed again in such a dramatic and unpredictable manner."

"I don't know if I would call it fate, though. If this has taught me anything, it's that the cosmos has a sick, twisted sense of humor, but I'd still like to believe that we shape our own destiny. "

"When did you become so wise, Eddie-san?" Bella teased him, with a yawn. "Not to change the subject or anything, but I'd just like to say one thing about your tattoo while I'm still awake and lucid. I find it fascinating that you'd pick proverb about a swan. It's all kinds of fitting and not just because of my name."

"Why? Because swans supposedly mate for life? I remember you telling me that when we were seventeen."

"Well, that and the fact that we are in Forks right now. It's actually believed migrating birds return to nest in the same area they were born in. Combine those two primal, biological instincts and you'll see that I was probably always meant to come back to you and this podunk town eventually."

"Great, so now all I have to do is to figure out how to keep you in the nest," Edward chuckled, but stopped when he noticed Bella had tensed in his arms. "Figuratively speaking, obviously," he hurried to add. "I didn't mean it in the keep-her-pregnant-and-barefoot kind of way, because I don't think that's the solution to anything in the long run."

"Caging this Swan is not advisable either, just so we're clear. I want to be able to work, have at least a resemblance of a career, even if it will be a modified one. "

"I suppose wing clipping is a no-go as well."

"Yeah, definitely. I want to still remain me and not just become 'mom' or the 'wifie' at home. So no neck band either, thank you very much? I'd like to remain unmarked, for now."

"Noted. So what will it take to tame this Swan?" he asked, pushing a dangling lock of her hair behind her ear.

"You'll have to feed her and love her and let her spill the messy contents of her heart all over you. Sometimes it won't just be word vomit, and it won't always be pretty, but you have to pretend that it doesn't faze you. Same as when she passes foul gas and her ankles swell to the size of tree trunks. You won't go wrong if you fan her when she's hot, rub her back, fluff up her pillows and bring her ice cream when she's grumpy. Oh, and pickles. Baby Swan loves pickles."

"Aww, the little one is hungry again, mama Swan?" Edward cooed, bending down to caress her stomach.

"No! It's the middle of the freaking night," she huffed in great indignation. "I stuffed myself to the top of my throat with dessert like less than three hours ago."

"Are you sure? Because I could go get you something."

"Yes, of course I'm sure," she insisted, despite the fact that she had just caught herself subconsciously rubbing her stomach.

"I could make a few sandwiches or something to snack on for later, in case you wake up hungry."

"You're making fun of me," she pouted. Yes pouted. "You're not allowed to make fun of me for the next five months or so."

"So, no sandwiches then?"

"Well, since you're offering, maybe I wouldn't mind a pickle, cheese and mayonnaise sandwich. You know for later. With extra pickles. Oh, and some milk. Ice cold…"

"Hold that thought," He sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. "Maybe I should write this down."

"Now who's mocking who?" She slapped his arm not so gently.

"Who is mocking whom."

"Oh, shut up, Edward," she growled, I'm practically talking in my sleep. "I will absolutely perish if you don't get me some cheese. STAT."

"Pickles has a nice ring to it, as a middle name," Edward got up and fumbled around on the floor for his boxers and his—no, his pregnant girlfriend was wearing his t-shirt. His mind reeled at that thought. Pregnant, girlfriend, semi clothed, semi naked….

"Edward?"

"What?"

"Over my dead body. It's even worse than Peanut"

"How about Cygnet or Flapper?" He tugged his underwear on and dug a pair of sweats

"Cute, but you realize those are not real name, right?"

"I thought we wanted something gender neutral and unique."

"Not that unique," she yawned again and curled up into a ball with the sheet wrapped around her.

"You're going to be fast asleep two seconds after I'm gone, aren't you?"

"Probably, but you'll leave anyway, because you have this compelling need to check on Tony before you can actually get any sleep yourself."

"I didn't realize I was that transparent."

"I know you better than you think I do."

Edward looked down at her and gave her a fond smile. "No you don't, but I hope someday you will."

.

…..


	67. Ch66 The End Is the Beginning Is the End

**Chapter 66 - The End Is the Beginning Is the End**

**.**

_**A few days later….**_

_-Relieved? -E_

…_.._

_- Mucho -B_

…_.._

_- Another crisis, another wild ride, but we've beaten the odds again. -E_

…_.._

_-You better be knocking on wood, because you probably just jinxed us all.-B_

…_.._

_- I'm ready to be done with tests, hospitals and appointments for the rest of my life._ -E

…..

_- I know the feeling. I also know what high blood pressure and swollen feet feels like, so I'm not quite ready to swear off hospitals and the wonders of modern medicine just yet." -B_

_..._

_- Sorry, that came out wrong. I know we have to go back, but I just don't want to think about that, right this very moment. I want to rejoice in the present. -E_

…..

.

…

.

"Are you two texting each other?" Alice asked incredulously from the driver's seat. They had just pulled onto the interstate, leaving Seattle and UW Medical Center behind.

Beside her, slumped in the front passenger seat, Edward looked up from his phone long enough to grunt, "Of course not. Why would we text each other when we're riding in the same car?"

"Because you're known to be ridiculous and doridiculous things," Alice commented, with a quick glance in the rear view mirror.

In the back seat both Bella and Jasper were sitting with their phones out, completely engrossed in whatever they were reading.

Over the span of the last few hours they had amused themselves (and everyone else) by googling Vegas bachelor party ideas and Elvis themed wedding packages. Whenever one of them would stumble upon something they found particularly funny, or wild, or tacky, they would read it aloud and then they'd all sit back and wait for Alice's horrified reaction. Needless to say Alice did not disappoint. The mere idea of a quickie wedding was unthinkable to her.

The only one unamused by all this was Anthony, who had fallen asleep in his car seat the minute the car had started rolling.

"Well, who are you texting then?" Alice inquired, signaling to change lane.

"Elvis," Jasper replied instantly, not missing a beat. "Or the Graceland Wedding Chapel, more precisely."

"The pope," Edward said, with a nonchalant shrug. "…or mom, actually."

"God," Bella deadpanned. "He called me a bitch and I was like 'oh, really?!'"

Edward snorted and half-turned, looking over his shoulder. "I'm sure he meant to type 'one lucky bitch'. Give the poor guy a break. It can't be easy being all-knowing and all-seeing, all the freaking time."

Bella felt a bubble of laughter well up in her throat and it escaped, unbidden, like a sudden bursting hiccup. 'Lucky' didn't even begin to cover it. The whole reason behind their trip to Seattle had been to see a specialist and get the recommended fetal heart scan preformed.

The test itself had taken a nerve wrecking hour and a half, but thankfully the verdict had, in the end, been a positive one. Because, while the electrocardiogram had indeed confirmed the occurrence of multiple atrial ectopic beats, it had also shown that there were no signs of any underlying structural heart diseases or cardiac tumors. This meant that those few extra erratic heartbeats would, most likely, have absolutely no significance to the health of the baby, once it was born.

Add to that the fact that Bella's boss, FBI chief inspector Jenks, had taken upon himself to personally notify Edward of the results of the toxicology tests. This phone call had taken place mere hours before their trip to Seattle, so to say they had gone through a rollercoaster of emotions in the past 24 hours was no exaggeration.

It had been another bullet dodged, as the preliminary tests on Anthony's hair samples had shown no presence of any toxins. Everything came back normal, except for the child's iron and mineral levels,whichwere all low. This, however, was something that Carlisle had already warned them about, seeing as it was consistent with malnourishment and lack of vital nutrients.

With all the screwed up things, all the mistakes, all the bad luck and the occasional blind luck they had been having lately, this news felt like a big gift, like they had actually, and very unexpectedly, lucked out for once.

Just then Edward's phone buzzed again indicating a new message and Alice fixed him with a dirty look.

"You ARE texting each other!"

"Eyes on the road, Alice! Eyes on the road," Edward shot back, while unlocking his phone to read the message.

.

…

_- I really just want to go home. You know HOME home. -B_

…..

.

He couldn't resist typing a quick reply.

.

….

.

_- You and me both. It's just a matter of getting clearance to take off -E_

…..

.

They were a package deal now.

This somehow seemed to have centered Bella; the knowledge that circumstances had changed and that she was no longer alone. There had been a change in their dynamic. It was still new and fragile, this truce and this … pact to communicate they had going on. That being said though, when they left Forks, it would be together.

Edward waited for another ten milliseconds and then sent another text.

.

…

_- Keep up with your veggies and your smoothies and I'll see if I can book us on a flight leaving on Sunday. How does that sound? -E_

…

.

Bella replied with a string of excited emojis.

She knew full and well though, that it was up to the Docs to decide whether she would be deemed fit to travel or not. Carlisle had cleverly avoided answering that particular question, saying they should wait until after the fetal heart scan to even discuss it. They also had another 'regular' ultrasound in a few days to see if the baby was growing more rapidly now with all the rest, medication and healthy eating, but after that there was no holding them back. They had already started working on preparing Anthony; telling him about airplanes and how they would soon be flying in one.

Emmett, Rosalie and Elliott had bid their farewell two days ago. Emmett was needed at the gym to tackle the rush of New Year's gym-goers trying to honor their work out resolutions. Alice and Jasper were booked on a flight leaving on the upcoming Thursday. Alice was more than ready to leave the pine trees and the stillness of Forks behind and return to her hectic, big-city life and Jasper missed his beloved Rottweiler, Bentley, something terribly. Also his classes were starting up in a few days and after having spent that much time with two toddlers in the house, he was actually looking forward to going back to work again. At least his students were old enough to know how to blow their own noses and tie their own shoelaces… So yeah, he was eager to get home….

Edward's phone chimed again, but this time only to announce the arrival of some type of e-newsletter, which he had no real interest in reading. He barely glanced at the display, but it was enough to provoke Alice. "Stop texting! It's annoying," she snapped with an irritated little growl.

"Whoa, chill! Why don't you just turn on the radio, or something?" Edward responded, grinning widely at her, because there was no radio to turn on.

"You know why," she replied, referring to the fact that the volume control on the _radio was not working properly._They had already argued about this. Making a nearly four hours long ride listening to ridiculously loud music, was simply not a particularly appealing option.

"Want me to sing something for you?" Edward teased. "I think I can manage to belt out a few Disney songs while I finish up with my texting."

"No, I want you to talk to me," Alice frowned in a pointy sort of way. "You haven't talked to me in like forever."

"What ever would we talk about though, Alice?" he asked, still smirking. "You don't want any part in planning my wedding and you point blank refuse to look at the listings from my realtor."

Alice's made an affronted gasp, while Jasper hissed "That's a bit harsh, man," from the backseat.

It WAS harsh, but it was also hilarious. The whole thing had turned into such a farce, one that they should have put an end to, like yesterday. She'd do it before Alice boarded that flight to go home, Bella vowed to herself. They'd probably have to make Alice the godmother to make up for the distress they were putting her through. It was either that or naming the kid after her… But frankly, the universe wasn't big enough for more than one Alice Cullen at the time, so that was a no go.

"You want to elope and get married in front of an Elvis impersonator," Alice fumed loudly, gesticulating with her free hand for emphasis. Bella had to press her hand over her moth to keep back the giggles.

"AND you're planning on moving my newest nephew and my only niece to Alaska! Alaska, Edward! ALASKA!"

"Oh, for fucks sake," Edward feigned annoyance, but couldn't quite keep a straight face. "You can't possibly know it's a girl. I've told you umpteenth times already, stop calling it a girl, you'll hurt his feelings," he scoffed, deflecting like a champ.

Alice looked like she was about respond with something equally, if not even more snarky, but was firmly interrupted by Jasper, "Honestly Al, if you bothered to look at the links they have been sending you, you'd know that most of the listings are NOT in Alaska."

"Whatever, I still want no part of it. Anything further than 5, heck 3 miles, is just too damn far of a move. Also, what's the point in having a wedding, if you aren't going to make it special?"

"Who says a trip to Vegas can't be special," Jasper frowned.

"Exactly," Bella agreed. "Not everyone wants a formal large-scale church wedding, with a big swanky reception afterwards."

"Complete with a scrumptious feast and a seven-layer wedding cake," Jasper added with a grumble, putting his phone down.

"Not this again," Alice sighed. "I've told you, with a 200 people guest list you'll need a seven layer wedding cake."

"Cut that list and that cake in half and it still would be way too much, too big, too expensive."

"But then it would only be half as special," Alice pouted at her fiancés words.

"Whose nuptials are we talking about again?" Bella cut in, exchanging an amused look with Edward in the rear-view. "You forget I've already done the 'wedding' thing before and it didn't work out. I can assure you that when, or if, I get married again, it will be a very simple registry office wedding and a nice meal afterwards."

"WHEN and IF? What do you mean when and if? I thought it was already decided?" Alice interjected abruptly, her eyes leaving the road for a brief second.

Bella choked back another wave of convulsive giggles, nearly losing it again at the confounded look on Alice face. "One thing at a time. Let's start with a roof over our heads first, alright," she suggested, trying to smooth over her slip.

"Actually, let's start by putting the past in its rightful place. I just had an idea," Edward announced, rather abruptly and then leaned forward to rummage through the backpack at his feet.

When he straightened his back again, he was holding a folder a folder in his hands. "You'll like this Alice. I've been told it makes for an interesting read."

"Edward?" Bella said his name cautiously, recognizing the thick brown, almost cardboard-like folder in his hand. "Are you sure about this?"

"I'm sure," he responded, sparing a glance at her over his shoulder. "It's time. It's been burning a hole in my brain for too long. I've made up my mind, but I need some help with this. I want one of you to read this aloud for me."

"What the heck is that?" Alice asked at the same time as Jasper said, "Is that what I think it is?"

"It's Angela Weber's journal entries," Bella explained, watching Edward turn and pass the folder to her.

"Are you sure?" she asked again, scanning his face this time, looking for some kind of indication about how he really felt. "Anthony is right here, in the car and he-…."

"…will sleep for another hour or two if we're lucky."

He was probably right there, because the boy appeared to be completely out of it, snoozing happily with his head lolled to the side and his stuffed teddy tiger tightly clutched to his chest.

"You don't have to do this, Edward," Jasper said, with a for him unusually uncertain voice. "I know I asked to read it. I want to know what to expect. I want to know if there is anything about me in there. But not like this. Not, if it means forcing you to do something you're not ready for."

"I don't think I'll ever be ready, but I'm sure….Lets do this. "

"Should I pull over?" Alice asked, her hand on the turn signal.

"No, no. Keep the car rolling," Edward replied, gripping the handle above the window. "I need the car to be moving. I think the whole being stuck in a moving vehicle with no escape, might actually work in my favor."

"Alright," Bella, unfastened her seatbelt and scooted forward to reach across the center console and squeezed his shoulder. Her stomach got in the way, but she managed it. Twice. Before she grabbed the papers from his hand and leaned back again.

"Let's get on with this. One last hurdle to get by, before we start building something new." Even though the idea was still a little ludicrous to her, it did feel right somehow, like a circle coming to a close.

"Yeah, let's do this," Edward gave a grim nod and Bella cleared her throat, flipping the folder open. And then she was reading….

_'Dear diary,_

_No fuck that shit._

_To whoever-it-might concern…_

_No, to Eddie,_

_I saw you today. Fucking finally!_

_All the months I've been waiting to see my plans unfold, to see things finally become a reality…. But of course you ignored me — looked straight through me like I was not important enough to notice, like I was just some random idiot._

_Lie, and tell me you don't recognize these eyes. If anything it will help keep the scarring on my heart fresh and raw._

_The betrayal stings like a festering disease, but the pain is real._

_It's welcome._

_I'm gonna make you change your mind, you'll see…_

_I'll stalk you until you're mine._

_I'm right behind you – plotting._

_In the shadows –watching._

_I have a knife in my bag._

_Still don't recognize me?'_

_._

….

**THE END**

….

.

**AN: Yes really, this is the end (for now).** Bet you didn't expect that, but come on with 60 + chapters, this story has been draggin on forever. I've said from the beginning that I was going to make this into a three part series. And that I had the intention of making every part as stand alone as possible. I think I failed a bit on that account with this part, though. Never meant to drag this much of their past into the story.

So what's next…. I'll be going back to fix a few timeline and plot errors (nothing major), but apart from that I'm about to take a much needed break from posting for a while. Don't know if it will be weeks or months. I have my vacation coming up in July, I expect to get a lot of writing done during that time.

Keep me on alert and you'll notice when I start posting again. **The title for the continuation** **will be something along the line of "Lethal Conclusions**". What will it contain, you ask? The birth of baby Swan of course and Edward finding out that life at home where it's just the three (soon to be four) of them is quite a bit different than he could ever have imagined. They don't call it 'terrible twos' for nothing. Then there is James that is till on the loose and also, there is something fishy about Rene…. Don't you think?

So there you have it. 20 chapters, 25 at the most. I really need to work on the outline before I start posting, because I don't think I'll survive another fic as long as this one.

Finally, a **BIG thank you** all for reading, commenting and following along. I suck at replying to reviews, but I am reading them! Usually very fun, spot on and useful insights. I really do appreciate all of the feedback!

How about we make a headcount?! The hits and the alerts, as lovely as they are, don't really tell you how many that have actually stuck with it to the final chapter. Everyone that's made it to the end, please post a review. You don't have to write anything, just put a smilie in it or something. Thank you!


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